Holiday Love
by Karren
Summary: Stephanie is the new girl at RangeMan. Her Ex Ram got her the job while they were together but now another MM wants to persue her. Will she allow him in or send him packing because of what happend with Ram?
1. Chapter 1

I do not own anything from Janet Evanovich I just play with them. This Story is something new for me to try and I hope that you like it.

It was October first and Stephanie was standing on a step stool in RangeMan hanging some black witches garland around a door frame. Lester walked in and saw her stretching placing thumb tacks into the plaster above the wooden door jamb.

"Hey Steph what are you doing?" he asked as she slipped the garland over the tack

"What's it look like?" she asked placing more of the garland around the tacks she had placed around the door

Stephanie stepped off the stool and stumbled from not having her balance all the way. Lester who was behind her sat his hands on her hips helping to steady her.

"Would you please remove your hands off of me please?" she bit out at him

"Is that anyway to talk to someone who just saved your life?" Lester asked her smirking his cute little crooked smile at her

"Save my Life! You didn't save my life I just stumbled Lester I didn't fall" she said walking off to her desk

Lester shook his head at her and went over to his desk to boot up his computer. He would occasionally glance over at Stephanie.

Stephanie was still kinda new to the RangeMan family. She took over Silvio's place when he got transferred to the RangeMan office in Miami. Stephanie was Rams girlfriend and had went to Ranger and asked him if he would hire Stephanie. After a while Ranger agreed to allow her to become their office worker but Ram and Steph broke up a month later and she just kept on working for RangeMan even though she would still see and work with Ram.

"Steph file please" Ranger bellowed at her

"Coming" she said picking up the one she had finished from her desk and knocked over a bag she had sitting at her foot. Lester saw her do this and went over to pick it up for her. As he picked it up everything that had spilled out of the bag he saw a piece of red cloth on the floor. Picking it up and holding it up to see what it was he comes to realize it was a skimpy red lace thong.

"Oh good God" he said starting to sweat seeing the underwear and thinking of Stephanie wearing it

"LESTER" Ranger yelled wanting to get the meeting started

Lester jumping at being yelled at and see that Stephanie was coming back to her desk, quickly stashed the thong into his pants pocket and hurried into the conference room where he took his seat next to Bobby for their meeting.

When Ranger pulled up the fugitive's picture and placed it onto the screen behind him, Steph walked back to her desk and noticed her bag that she had gotten during her lunch break had been knocked over and moved from where she had sat it by her desk. Picking it up she looked into it to see if all of her things were still inside.

"Body spray check, shower gel check, lotion check, Underwear…" she said looking through the bag

"All right Clark ran right out of the gate" Ranger said addressing his team "he told us to catch him if we thought we could"

"DAMMITT WHERE IS IT" Steph said panicking and out loud

"Uhh Steph everything ok?" Ranger asked hearing her in the conference room while he was in the middle of his meeting

"Oh uh yea" Stephanie responded feeling embarrassed about interrupting her bosses meeting and over what she was panicking about "Sorry to interrupt I uh lost something on the computer" she lied

"Happen to me all the time" Ram said calling out to her from his spot in the meeting

"Happens to me all the time" Stephanie mumbled sarcastically rolling her eyes. She thought she had said it quietly but Ranger and his team heard her

"Ha-ha you're still not her favorite person bro" Lester said over to Steph's ex

"I know and it's been almost two months you'd think we would have some since of Pease over it"

"Ok guys as I was saying" Ranger said bringing the meeting back to order "Clark ran. He is charged as a drug slinger so let's go out there, find him, and sling his ass back into jail courtesy of RangeMan"

"Hell Yea!" all the men sung out together

Stephanie had looked everywhere for her missing thong and didn't understand where it could have gone to. Lester who was all geared up to go look for Clark stopped as he was walking out with the team and saw Steph under her desk on her hands and knees.

"Damn I know it just didn't up and walk away" she said turning and seeing a pair of black boots standing next to her. Steph looked up the legs she saw Lester looking down at her.

"Loose something?" he asked smirking at her

"Umm just a tack. I wanted to hang some more Halloween decorations up later" she said sitting up on her knees

"Oh I thought maybe it might be this you were looking for" he said bringing out the thong and undoing it for her to see

"Oh where did you…" she was asking happy that they were found but stopped because she realized she had admitted that they belonged to her. If Steph had really put in any thought about it she would know that they could only belong to her since being the only female in the building unless one of the guys cross dressed and she highly doubted that.

Lester bent down and purred into her ear "I'd love to see them on you sometime"

"Only in your dreams Santos" she said yanking the thong from his fingers

"Oh I'll be dreaming all right" he smiled at her

"Not ever gonna happen one RangeMan was good enough for me. I have learned my lesson" Stephanie said getting up and sitting back into her chair

"Don't judge me by what happened with one of my brothers" Lester said walking out and riding the elevator to the others who were waiting in the garage.


	2. Chapter 2

Sitting back in her chair after everyone had left; Stephanie looked down at the thong where she had laid it on her desk after snatching it from Lester's fingers. She couldn't believe Lester one of her ex's good friends had had it in his pocket and what he had said about it before he had left.

"I will not ever see Mr. Santos outside of work that's for sure" Steph said typing on her computer

"And you" she said picking up her tiny underwear "are going into my purse where you can't cause any more trouble" she said tossing it inside and zipping up her bag

Stephanie took some small plastic pumpkins out of a bag and placed the small gourds all around the room, stepping back to admire her decorating she smiled as her desk phone rang.

"RangeMan" Steph said picking up the phone

"Just thinking of you Steph" Lester said smiling into the phone

"Dammitt grow the hell up Lester. I'm never ever going to be with you I have learned by Ram no more Rangemen for me" she told him. Lester laughed as he hung up his phone. Tank who was driving their truck looked back at him through the rearview mirror.

"What are you laughing at Santos?" the big man asked

"Just teasing Steph" he told him grinning

"Don't make us loose our office worker" he scolded "I like her and I don't have the mounds of paperwork that I had since Ranger hired her"

"Oh she's not going anywhere" Lester told him smiling as he looked out his window

"OK guys we are coming up to Clark's house. You ready Santos?" Ranger asked over their com units

"Ten four" he said back to his boss

Stephanie looked around the decorated RangeMan office and sighed as she thought about all the attention she was recently getting from Lester. It wasn't that she had never gotten it from him before they all used to hang out together when she was dating Ram but somehow this felt different.

"Why do I even work here?" she asked herself

Her telephone rang out again and she picked it up expecting it to be another prank by Lester "Lester I swear if you don't leave me alone I am gonna quit"

"Umm who's Lester?" a ladies voice asked her

Stephanie's eyes went wide "oh I'm so sorry this is RangeMan can I help you?" she asked thinking Ranger would kill her if he found out how she answered his phones.

"I'm Connie office manager for Vincent Plum Bail Bonds. I have some files for Ranger to pick up" she said and Stephanie clued right in on the woman saying she was from her cousins bail bonds business and that Ranger must work for him. Steph told her as soon as Ranger or Tank got back she would have them call her right back. Connie told her she would be waiting and hung up.

Those two are gonna kill me" she said thinking of Ram and Lester running her ragged

It was around five in the evening when Stephanie saw Ranger, Tank, and the team that had went out come back onto the floor. Steph had just got finished adding the last touches to her Halloween decorating and stepped back to look it all over.

"I just love Halloween" she said smiling loving the look and feel of the office

"Looks festive in here" Ranger said looking around his command room floor

"Yea I really love Halloween. I hope you all don't mind" Stephanie said suddenly worried as she returned back to her desk

"No it's cute" Ranger said causing her to smile. Tank did a double take at his friend the Mighty Manoso using the word cute " We just never did that sorta thing" he said going over some mail that Steph had handed him

"Well if you don't mind I'd like to decorate for Thanksgiving and Christmas too"

"I don't care" Ranger told her as Tank walked around him

"Oh Tank, Connie called from Vincent Plum Bail Bonds and said she had some files for RangeMan. I told her that you would call her as soon as you got back" She told him handing him the sticky note that she took the message on

"Why is it you never give me the messages?" Ranger asked her

"RangeMan Stephanie aint dumb she knows whose really in charge around here" Tank told his friend laughing as he walked into his office

Stephanie watched nervously as Ranger shook his head at his second in command and then looked over at her "I see how it is" he told her giving her a little smile and went on into his office

Relief washed over her and she giggled at the both of them, she loved their easy sometimes jokey nature even though rare of Tank and Ranger.

"Now that right there is why I still work here. Ram was a perk at one time but that's over so just the since of loyalty and camaraderie is why I stay" she thought to herself

Stephanie thought back to the time she was with Ram. It was good and Ram was a great guy to be with. He had introduced her to his fellow RangeMan friends and they hung out with them quite often a lot of times going over to Lester's house to hang out, or watch games on his plasma TV. One day Ram's ex girlfriend Teresa called and asked him if she had left some of her things over at his apartment, Ram had told her yes that he had them and had packed them in a box so they wouldn't be damaged. She told Ram that she wanted them back and asked if she could come get them. Ram told her yea that she could and when she did one thing lead to another and he ended up sleeping with Teresa.

Ram felt so guilty about what he had done that he confessed to Stephanie right away. It broke her heart that he had cheated on her and she broke up with him. Tank had found out what had happened and pulled Stephanie to the side to ask if she could continue to work for them because Ram was a part of their team. Stephanie assured him that yes it would be hard to be around him she thought she could be civil and work together so she stayed.

Stephanie felt the air around her change. When she looked up she saw Lester and Ram standing there staring at her.

"Wow Steph where were you just now?" Ram asked her

"No where" she said getting upset all over again from thinking about him cheating on her

"Isn't Halloween a kid's holiday?" Lester asked flipping a ghost around with his fingers that Stephanie had hung from the ceiling

"Well I love Halloween so just shut up about it" she said leveling a glare at him "Ranger your boss said he liked it so just fuck off"

"Whoa Steph calm down, I was just teasing" he told her

"Yea well I'm sick of your jokes and you" she said pointing to Ram "I'm just sick of"

Lester and Ram looked at each other surprised by Stephanie's outburst at them. They watched as he grabbed her things and walked into Rangers office and then into Tanks telling them both that she was done for the day and was leaving. Walking out they watched as she nearly knocked Hal down in the process.

"Damn Stephanie where's the fire?" he asked as she went by

"Ok" Ram said "I know what I did but what did you do?" he asked Lester as they watched Steph angrily stalk to the elevator.


	3. Chapter 3

Several days had gone by and Stephanie hadn't spoken to anyone except Ranger and Tank, she wouldn't even speak to Hal and she usually adored him. Lester and the team had just gotten back from a hunt and since having to use mace another tool in their arsenal for hunting fugitives instead of his gun he wanted to trade his empty can out for a fresh live one. Walking into the RangeMan storage room he found Stephanie standing there with a pen and clip board in her hand taking inventory of the stock room.

"Hi Steph" Les said tossing his empty mace can into a cardboard box against the wall and grabbing a fresh one from the shelf

Lester turned his head to look at her because she never responded to him. He put his mace into one of his utility belt holders and then turned fully to her.

"Hello Stephanie" he said again and again she ignored him

"Stephanie it's pretty rude not to talk to you friend when he says something to you" he told her knowing that, that would get a rise out of her

"I'm not your friend" she told him counting something on the shelf

"Sure we are we have hung out plenty of times"

"That was a long time ago" she reminded him

"It was only a couple of months ago" he told her as he watched her move passed him

"Just leave me alone Lester, don't talk to me"

"You know what Steph" Lester said tiredness and frustration coming through his voice "That's not gonna work for me. It's not right that you are punishing me because of what one of my "Brothers" did several months ago. I get and accept that you hate him and you have every right to but we were good friends Steph" he told her holding onto her arm so she couldn't leave and would have to listen to him

"You're just like him Santos" she told him

"How's that?" he asked

"I've seen you parade around here and your house with several different women on your arms you can't tell me you've been faithful and exclusive with them" she spat at him

"Stephanie that not fair and very judgmental of you" Lester told her as she dropped her pen onto the floor

As Stephanie bent down to pick up the pen, Les saw from the top of her pants that she was wearing the red lace thong that she had, had the other day. Thinking back to the other day he smiled.

"Go to hell Lester and leave me alone" she told him slamming the storage room door behind her

Sitting down at her desk, Steph bowed her head and ran her fingers up through her hair. She kept telling herself she was not going to cry because of Lester Santos or any other RangeMan for that matter.

Lester stayed away from Stephanie for the rest of the day. He hated always being at odds with her lately but didn't know how to fix their relationship and become friends again. He knew the reason for her anger and coldness was because she was hurting over what Ram had done to her and hadn't properly dealt with it and he also knew she was projecting her hate and anger onto him since he was a close friend with Ram. Lester watched as his friend walked over to him.

"Can I ask you something?" he asked as Ram got up to him

"Yea"

"Why did you sleep with Teresa? You and she had been over with for a long time before you got with Steph"

Ram sighed as he sat down next to Lester "Teresa wanted the stuff she had left behind in my apartment. I don't know why it was so suddenly important to have the stuff since like you said we had broken up a long time and I was with Stephanie. But she called and I had the stuff and had packed it away so it wouldn't get damaged. I told her she could come get it and when she did we got to talking about old times and how much fun we had together and I kissed her and you probably can guess the rest" he told Les

"Didn't you think of Stephanie at all?" Lester asked him

"No I guess I didn't which is why we aren't together anymore" he said hearing a sound. Both men looked over to see Stephanie standing there with tears running down her cheeks. She had been on her way to Rangers office when she heard Ram's confession.

Ram turned and began to walk towards her but she just held her hand up and stopped him. Lester saw this and knew it was killing his friend what he has done something to someone that he had loved and cared for so much. Stephanie turned around and walked into a deserted meeting room where she cried.

"Let me go and see if I can help her" Lester said walking past his friend and fellow co-worker clapping him on the shoulder

"Good luck, I think she hates you as much as she hates me" Ram told him going to check in with Ranger to see what he would like for him to do

Lester stopped at a door that had a paper ghost pinned to it. He took it down and carried into the room that Steph had gone into too. Slowly opening the door she saw her head bowed and heard her sniffling.

"Stephanie" Lester softly said as he walked into the room

"Just leave me alone please, I'm tired of arguing" she said to him her voice defeated

"Me too truce?" he asked waving the paper ghost in front of her

Stephanie kinda smiled as Lester waved the white ghost as a flag of surrender. As she wiped the tears away from her cheeks she took the ghost from his hands.

"It still hurts a lot" she told him looking at the ghost in her hands

"Come here" Les told her pulling her into him and wrapping his arms around her

Lester was glad that Steph had finally showed her softer side to him the one that he knew and had always loved about her. She had hidden it to deal and cope with the betrayal from Ram but as soon as she had shown it though the hard cold Stephanie came rushing back.

"Don't ever touch me again do you hear me?" she said stepping back and leaving the room

"Santos I need you to run over to the county building to pick up the papers on Clark so we can close out his file" Ranger said as he came out of the room he was in with Stephanie "And take Stephanie with you let her get a taste of what we do around here and see what goes on with a capture" he told him looking over to Stephanie

Stephanie looked over at Lester and scowled at him. Lester just shook his head as he grabbed a set of keys for one of their trucks that was down in the garage.

A/N Hey everyone I just wanted to let you guys know that this MIGHT be the last chapter for a few days. I am in New Jersey and am in the line of fire of Hurricane Irene. My electric company called me and told me that there could be wide spread power outages for hours to a few days and rightfully so with winds up to 70 mph hitting me. I am asking you all to remember me and all of the east coast that will be affected by Irene in your thoughts and prayers. I have called the Red Cross hot line and my husband and I have been to Wal-Mart and got some non perishable foods and waters, luckily we got what we needed because everything was gone. As soon as this storm passes and everything gets back up I WILL update again. Please just remember us! I will use this down time to write more on Holiday Love and a new one shot I got from a song I heard going to the beach the other day with my husband. So sorry!

Karren


	4. Chapter 4

A/N First off I'd like to Thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers for me during the Hurricane. I am humbled at all the well wishes and notes that I received. My husband and I rode out the scary night and prayed that our lights wouldn't go off and that everyone we cared for would be ok. I'm glad that we were able to keep power and hope I never have to go through that again, going back to Tennessee is sounding better everyday lol. THANK YOU AGAIN EVERYONE FOR THINKING AND PRAYING FOR ME, I REALLY APPRICIATE IT!

HLHLHLHLHLHLHLHLHLHLHLHLHLHL

Lester looked over at Stephanie again but saw she wasn't budging from her desk. Making a face at her he told her that he was going down to the garage. Walking out from the stairwell door, Lester climbed into one of RangeMan's trucks and waited on Steph.

Stephanie however never moved from her chair, she did not want to go with Lester to the courthouse. After about twenty minutes of waiting, Lester called the office knowing it would be Steph who would answer.

"RangeMan this is Stephanie can I help you?" She asked so sweetly causing Lester to smile

"You can help me by getting your pretty little ass in my truck and let go" he told her and then hung up on her

Stephanie huffed and slid her chair back, picking up her purse she stalked over to the elevator and hit the down button. She didn't want to be doing this but knew that her boss Ranger wanted her to go along and she didn't want to disobey him. Opening the passenger side door of Lester's truck, Steph got in and slammed the door too.

"Watch the door will ya?" Les asked gruffly

"Bite me" she told him as he backed out and pulled out of the garage

Lester looked over to Stephanie to make a smart ass comment but how she was sitting the thong she was wearing was showing because her shirt had ridden up in the back. Smiling he thought of another comment.

"You know what Steph with how you have been acting towards me lately I think I need to pull this truck over and give you and that thong of yours a good lay maybe then you'll be in a better mood" he said keeping his eyes on the road but saw Steph snap her head over to him from the corner of his eye.

"What did you just say?" she asked him

"You heard me"

"Yes I did and I'm telling you there is no chance in hell you will ever be with me" she told him

"Is that a challenge because if it is I accept?" he asked smirking at her

"Don't speak to me the rest of the day" she told him and Lester laughed

Lester pulled up to a red light where a huge Halloween store had opened up for the season. Stephanie saw it and started squealing with delight and began craning her neck to see the decorations in the stores window.

"You look just like a kid at Christmas" Lester said to her as he watched how happy she got looking at the store

"Shut up" she told him sitting back in her seat as the light changed and Lester began to drive again

"So why do you love Halloween so much?" Les asked her trying to make civil conversation with his old friend

"I just do" she told him "And aren't you supposed to be not talking to me?"

"Ok fine" he said seeing that no matter how he tried she wasn't going to give into the hate she had towards him "Have it your way"

"I'm not fucking Burger King" Steph told him as she hopped down from the truck and slammed the door for good measure. Lester rolled his eyes as she got out and locked the truck. They both walked in and had to go through a metal detector before they could enter the building.

"Lester Santos from RangeMan INC, I was told to come over and pick up some papers on a guy we brought in the other day" he told the lady behind a little plexi glass window

"Fifth floor to your right the elevators are to you left" she told him pointing to the elevators

Stephanie and Lester walked over to the bank of elevators and punched the up button. As the car came the stepped inside and watched as the doors slid closed. Stephanie punched the button for the fifth floor and the car began to move upwards. Steph stepped back and laid her head against the elevators wall, Lester stood over on the other side to give her space. Around the third floor the lights in the elevator went out and the car came to a screeching halt making Lester and Stephanie stumble and fall to the floor of the car.

"What the hell?" Lester asked as he stood up and felt his way over to the button panel punching buttons

"LESTER" Stephanie yelled

Lester heard Stephanie scream his name. He fumbled in the dark trying to locate her but kept hitting the wall. He heard sniffling coming from the corner or what he assumed to be a corner. He stopped and listened again and followed the sound to make his way over to it. As he reached out he touched a piece of fabric.

"Steph?" he asked

"Who else dimwit" she said sniffing "I'm the only other person with you in here"

"OK I'm just glad I finally found you" he said running his hand up what he had touched

"Watch it asshole there is no free feels in the dark" Steph said moving his hand

"Steph I know that you're scared and that you're crying just cut the bitch act and let me help you" he told her sitting down next to her

"You know nothing. The last time I allowed someone close to me they cheated on me with his ex just because she was there" she said and Lester began to feel her shake

"You cold?" he asked

"No" Steph flatly said

Lester heard her breathing change from slow and steady to short and jagged. He knew something was going on with Steph but could know what really without seeing her. Stephanie began to breathe out long breaths as she pulled her knees up to her chest and sobbed. Lester hearing all the sounds coming from her got out his cell and turned it on.

"Anything?" she asked

"No I have nothing" he told her looking at the screen

Lester waved the phone in her direction as the light from the display shown around her. He saw she was in a total state of panic.

"Stephanie" he said scooting closer to her

"Les what if we are trapped in here forever, what if they don't find us, what if we run out of air, what if…." she said panicking

Lester knew of he didn't stop her somehow she was really gonna lose it. Reaching over he did the only thing he thought he had and could do. Placing her face into his hands he kissed her and surprisingly she didn't punch him but kissed him back.

The kiss was only just supposed to stop Stephanie from panicking but it was getting Lester all hot and bothered. Touching her lips with his tongue, Stephanie softly moaned as he slid it into her mouth. As they kissed the lights flashed back on and the car jerked as it began to move again. Stephanie jumped up and looked down and Lester.

"Steph now I…" he said as he saw anger come into her eyes

The elevator stopped and dinged letting them know there were at the floor they were going to in the first place. When the doors slid open, Stephanie bolted out of the car and went into the ladies bathroom. Steph sat on the toilet and cried thinking about losing it with Lester and kissing him.


	5. Chapter 5

Walking out of the elevator, Lester saw Stephanie run into the ladies bathroom, placing his hands on his hips he shook his head and sighed. Knowing Steph was pretty much safe where she was in the women's bathroom, Lester went on to the office that he needed to get the forms for Ranger. The receptionist who was already expecting him handed him a file off her desk. Thanking her Lester walked out and saw a maintenance worker was inspecting the elevator.

"What happened man?" Lester asked him

"It blew a fuse; I replaced it there is nothing wrong with it now"

"Thanks" he told him making his way down to the bathroom where he knocked on the door

"Stephanie are you ok?" he asked calling through the door

"Go away Lester" she called back to him

Lester pressed his ear to the door and could hear her sniffing and knew she had been crying but what he didn't know was just what was she crying over? Was it the fact she was just stuck in an elevator or was it the fact she didn't resist the kiss that he had gave her and didn't pull away from?

"Steph you have to come out I'm your only way back to work" he told her

"I'll call a taxi or call Hal to come get me"

"Steph now you're just being ridiculous, come on" Lester said getting a little annoyed with her

"I'm not ridiculous" she said sitting on the toilet

"Ok Steph I didn't want to do this since knowing how you feel about him but you're leaving me no choice" he told her pulling out his phone and scrolling down his contact lists

Stephanie sat there and strained her ear to hear what Lester was doing. What did he mean he didn't want to do it but he had no choice?

"Lester what are you doing?" She called out to him her curiosity getting the best of her

"Calling the one person I know who has experience in getting you to come out of the bathroom" he answered her

Stephanie laughed there wasn't anyone that could get her to come out of that bathroom. She listened as she heard him begin to talk. When she heard Lester say his name her eyes widened as she realized who he was talking to and remembered what Les had meant when he said someone with experience. Steph heard Lester tell him that they were on the fifth floor of the county building. She jumped up from her spot on the toilet and swung the door opened and grabbed the phone out of Lester's hand.

"I'm out don't come" she said Lester smirking at her. Stephanie threw the phone at him and walked down to the elevator and hit the down button

"I can't believe you called him" she hissed

"We have gotten you out of my bathroom before when you have locked yourself in there remember?"

"Don't even go there" she said her eyes flashing with anger

"Oh yes lets go down memory lane shall we?" Lester said as the elevator doors opened. He watched Stephanie hesitate a moment but walked on into the car

"Ram loves football and it was in the middle of football season and the game on that Sunday was the Vikings and some other team I can't remember. You and Ram had been arguing all week over something and to really get to him and hurt him you bad mouthed his favorite team. Now you knew he loved the Vikings and had been told never to say anything bad against them because of how Ram would take it, but you Stephanie don't obey the rules" he told

"Damn right I don't obey" she said crossing her arms around her praying the elevator would not stop again

"So Miss. Stephanie gets even madder when Ram blows from her comment of his team and goes and locks herself in my bathroom and then she and Ram proceed to yell at each other through the door. Finally Ram now just wants his girlfriend to come out so they can watch the rest of the game but nope that's not going to happen. You see, Stephanie is very stubborn and doesn't do what anyone says so after two hours of begging Stephanie to come out Ram and I undo the hinges and drag Stephanie's butt out kicking and screaming. To make her pay for all the trouble she caused we piled on top of her and tickle her until she had tears streaming down her face" Lester finished as the elevator dinged and the doors slid open to reveal that they had made it all the way down to the lobby where they had started. Like she did on the fifth floor, Stephanie bolted out of the car running outside where she stopped on the front steps of the building.

"Steph you ok?" he asked coming out behind her

"Fine" she barked

Stephanie went on and walked to the truck and climbed in after Lester pushed the button on his key ring to unlock the doors. Once they were inside and driving, Stephanie asked if the windows could be rolled down. Lester nodded at her request and with a push of a button all the windows rolled down. Looking over at her, Lester saw that Steph was wringing her hands.

"Steph about that kiss" he said figuring that was what had her so spooked

"What kiss?" she asked snapping at him

"We kissed in the elevator remember?"

"No we didn't. I would never kiss you" she said knowing full well she had

"Uh yes we did, I just wanted you to know I couldn't think of anything else to stop you from panicking" he told her

"I wasn't panicking" she told him looking out the window as they drove

"Stephanie I saw you…" he was saying but his phone rang as he coasted down the ramp in the RangeMan garage. Stephanie got out of the truck when Lester parked in an empty spot. He watched her as he talked on the phone, he wanted to talk to her and discuss more about what was wrong and their kiss but it was too late she was gone, already back up on the fifth floor.

"Yea" he said into the phone " I'm actually sitting here in the garage we had just pulled in when you called" he said jumping out of the truck " yea she knew it was you who I called and remembered the time she locked herself in my bathroom when you all came over to watch the big game. OK man I'm coming up now" he told Ram clicking the end button on his phone

Lester walked onto the command room floor and handed over the file that contained the papers Ranger had needed to close out the file on Clark. He noticed Stephanie wasn't at her desk and did a quick glance around the office but didn't see her.

"Where's Steph" he asked Hal knowing she had came up before him

"Umm I don't know she was here a minute ago" he said looking over his shoulder at her empty desk

"Tank you seen Steph?" Lester asked when the big man walked passed them

"Yea she went for lunch. I told her to take her time, are you ok?" he asked him

"Yea why you ask?"

"Stephanie looked frazzled and shaky, you two didn't get into it did you? You know if you guys don't stop this teasing and bickering with her you all are going to drive her away" Tank said to Hal and Lester

"No it's not that, we were trapped in an elevator and it got stuck. Apparently it was only a blown fuse but we were trapped for a while and I think it has really freaked Stephanie out. She was really scared but you'll never get her to admit it" he told them

"You were trapped in the elevator?" Tank asked his eyes widening

"Yep"

"No wonder the girl's on edge. You need to take lunch to get it together?" he asked Lester

"Nah I'm ok, I'm more concerned about Steph"

Stephanie walked around the city leaving her car at work. She thought about being trapped in that small car alone with Lester. She never used to be afraid of small spaces until Ram and she were playing around one day and he threw her into a closet and closed the door not letting her out. She remembered banging on the door to please be let out but he wouldn't. She couldn't hear Ram anymore and that made her panic and sweat, from then on she didn't like being in small closed in places.

Stephanie also wondered as she walked around about Lester kissing her and the fact that she had liked it and kissed him back. She thought about how his lips felt on hers, how gentle they were, and how warm. Steph found herself smiling at the thought and found she had walked back to the office without realizing it. Walking back in she tried not to be noticed, she soon saw that the team was sitting in the conference room and some looked out at her as she walked by.

Steph looked in and glared at Ram who started laughing at being called to come get her out of the bathroom. Lester felt her eyes on him but just kept paying attention to what Ranger was saying. After their briefing Ram came up to Steph's desk.

"So what's with you and Bathrooms huh?" he asked smirking down at her


	6. Chapter 6

Steph looked up to see Ram smirking down at her. She rolled her eyes at him and Ram laughed. As he was walking away, Stephanie said something that made him stop.

"What was that?" he asked her

"It is all your fault" she told him

"What is?"

"Everything" she said grabbing a file from her inbox to work on

"Steph just tell me and don't beat around the bush"

"All right I really don't owe you an explanation but you have ruined my life" she said " I was so in love with you and dared to believe we would have a long future together, but that didn't happen did it?" she asked walking off to the conference room to straighten up

Ram followed Stephanie and saw her standing with her back to the door trying to compose herself. When he walked into the room he saw her shoulders shaking and knew that she was crying.

"Stephanie" he said shutting the door to give them some privacy. They didn't need to broadcast what they were doing. It was killing Ram to be the reason for her pain and tears because in all honesty he had really loved Stephanie too. He had brought her into his world, his life, introduced her to the guys, and then broke her heart from one stupid mistake he wished the entire world he could do over again.

"Ram" she said sniffing "just go away and leave me alone. Let me just work in peace, you and Lester please leave me alone"

"Is there anything I can do or say to make this any easier on you?" he asked badly wanting to wrap his arms around her again

"No you done enough by having sex with your ex while we were together"

"I understand and accept that" he said sadly" but why all the anger with Les?" he asked trying to understand why they seemed to be on the outs lately, at one time they were really close friends.

"Just go please" she told him

"No please tell me. I know and accept your anger and that I broke your heart but Lester?" he asked again

"You just didn't break my heart Ram every time I see you it breaks over and over again" Stephanie told him

"Steph I am so sorry, I never meant any of this to happen"

"But it did now didn't it?"

"Yes" he said on a sigh

"STEPHANIE YOU GOT A DELIVERY" Hal yelled out to her

Stephanie hearing him wiped her eyes and went passed Ram. When she came out of the conference room she signed a UPS slip that Hal placed in front of her and then took the box over to her desk to open it.

"OH YES ITS FINALLY HERE" she squealed

"What is it?" Hal asked returning from giving the slip to the UPS man

"It's my skeleton that I'd ordered a few weeks ago" she said lifting it out of the box

"Cool" he said watching the boney creature come out of the box

"Yes it is" she said her eyes sparkling and a huge smile on her face

"What are you going to do with it?" Hal asked

"Hang it up of course" she laughed looking to see Tank and Ranger coming out of Rangers office. They looked over and saw Stephanie standing at her desk with a skeleton

"Nice boyfriend there Steph" Tank said teasing her

"Thanks" she laughed "this one does what I say and doesn't protest"

"Every woman's dream" he said

"Ranger would it be ok if I take the rest of the day off?" she asked

Ranger looked at her for a moment and saw how tired and drained she looked "I guess so" he told her knowing about her ordeal in the elevator and dealing with attention from Lester and of Ram "Where you off too?"

"When Lester and I were going over to the county building, I saw this Halloween store had opened up, I'd love to go check it out" she told him

"Knock yourself out" Ranger said hoping this would give her enough of a break that she wouldn't up and quit on him. Like Tank he had grown to love having Stephanie work for him. A lot of the mounds of paper work and the mundane office upkeep that he had to worry with now were done by her and that left him free to concentrate on his business and how to grow it and he didn't want to lose her.

Lester had overheard Stephanie and heard where she was planning on going. He smiled remembering how Steph acted when she had first seen this new store. Watching her repack her skeleton he watched as she grabbed her purse and walked to the elevator. Waiting until he knew she had left the garage, Lester went over to where Tank and Ranger were standing talking and told them that he was going for lunch. As he got in the garage, he climbed into the truck that he and Steph had used earlier and followed her to the Halloween store.

Stephanie parked and went into the Halloween store and immediately was greeted by a man behind the front counter. She smiled and told him she was just looking and began to walk around the store. While looking at all the decorations and costume accessories and idea formed in Stephanie's head and wondered if Ranger would go for it and let her do it.

"Excuse me sir do you have any party invitations?" Stephanie asked him

"I sure do, right this way" he said taking her to the back wall

The man heard the bells ring over the front door and excused himself to go and greet his new customer. Lester just smiled at him and went on to spy on Stephanie as she looked over the cards.

"Hmmm" Steph said picking a pack of cards and looking them over "I love these now all I need to do is convince Ranger"

"What does he have to convince Ranger of?" Lester wondered as he heard her say it

"So Miss can I help you with anything else today?" the guy asked as he came back over to Stephanie

"Umm yes, your costumes over there can you try them on?" she asked

"Oh yes ma'am you're more than welcome to try any one of them on"

"Thanks I won't be long, I promise"

"Take all the time you need I'm here till nine" he told her

Lester watched as the man went back up to the register and Steph sat the cards that were in her hands down. She walked around and looked at all of the costumes and picked one out to try on. Lester watched as she smiled a mischievous little smile as she took her costume back to the dressing rooms. Lester took the time and moved so he could have a better spot to see her when she came back out.

"Sir can I help you find something?" they guy asked Les from the counter

Lester shook his head and went back to looking for Stephanie. He was hoping he was hidden enough so that she wouldn't spot him and in his line of work Ranger should fire him on the spot if she did. Also he knew that if Steph did find him there, there would be holy hell to pay. He looked up and saw the dressing room door open and Stephanie walk out, Steph stood there in a red short dress with black fishnet stockings on and a red pair of sparkly devil horns on top of her head. Her chest was barely hidden by the long V cut at the front of her dress.

Lester seeing this felt himself start to sweat and then heard her giggle. What she did next almost sent Lester over the moon, Stephanie reached up and took the clip out of her hair and her dark curls spilled down her back and around her face. Lester was mesmerized by her and leaned a little too far on the display he was hidden behind and it toppled over with a loud clank to the floor. Stephanie spun around to see what the noise was all about but Lester was quick and jumped into the nearby rack of costumes. Les peeked through the costumes and watched as Stephanie turned back around and picked up a smaller version of a pitch fork and gave herself a seductive look into the mirror she was in front of and drew the fork down her body.

"Oh God" Lester said watching her

Stephanie began mumbling to herself as she turned side to side looking at herself. Lester couldn't pick up what she was saying but whatever it was made her laugh.

"Just wait until Ram sees me in this" she said laughing wickedly

Lester knowing that he needed to get back to work hurried and walked out if the store when Stephanie went back into the dressing room to change. As he got into his truck he laid his head on to the steering wheel.

"This is not good. I knew she was a beautiful girl but dammnnn" he said thinking now of her thong he had in the office a while back, the kiss they shared, and now seeing her all sexed up in that Halloween costume. Staring the truck he pulled out and went back to RangeMan. Getting out when he parked he was greeted by Ranger leaving, he acknowledge him and saw that he was all sweaty and flustered.

"What's up?" Ranger asked him

"This girl" Les told him

"Say no more" Ranger said getting into his car, pulling out, and headed up the ramp

Back at the Halloween store Stephanie picked out a cape and some earrings to go along with her costume. Walking out she took her cell phone and called her boss.

"Yo" Ranger said answering his phone

"Hey Ranger this is Stephanie, I have this big favor to ask of you" she began


	7. Chapter 7

Stephanie made it home from her shopping spree, she had went to the mall to by some come fuck me stilettos and accessories for her slutty devil costume. Ranger had agreed after hearing her that on the thirtieth they could have a costume party at RangeMan. She asked for the thirtieth because ever since she had stopped going out herself she went over to her parent's house and handed out candy to all the trick or treater's.

Halloween was this Friday and the only way that Ranger would agree and allow Stephanie to have a party was that everyone had to be invited including Ram and Lester. Another condition he had was that after the party the office be cleaned and put back to the way it was normally. Steph agreed to all of his terms.

Steph stripped off all of her clothes and turned on her shower. Stepping into the hot water, she let it wash away all that had happened over the last twenty four hours. She also had hoped that it would wash away the kiss that happened between her and Lester. Getting out Stephanie dried off, tied her hair up into a towel, slid on an old T-shirt, and climbed into bed. Taking out the party invitations that she had bought earlier from the Halloween store, she began addressing them to all of the members of RangeMan including Ram and Lester, thus keeping her promise to Ranger.

Getting all that squared away it was time for her nightly ritual. Stephanie took her hair out of the towel and shook her hair out to air dry. Sitting there with a fan softly blowing on her she took out a stack of pictures from a drawer in her night table and began to flip through them. Looking at the pictures she sighed remembering what she was doing and where she was when they were taken.

(Flashback)

"Ram stop you're scaring me" Stephanie told him as he picked her up and ran her towards the ocean acting as if he was going to throw her in

"Aww you don't think I'd really do it do you?" he asked chuckling

"Knowing you and them" she said talking about the few guys that had came with them " I don't know" she said laughing holding tight to Rams bare torso looking over his shoulder at the crashing waves.

Hal, Stephanie, Ram, and Lester finally had a day off and they all had gotten together to go to one of the many beaches that New Jersey has to offer. Hall took Stephs camera and got a few kissy shots of her and Ram. You could see the love that Ram had for her. Stephanie switched the picture that she had looked over to the one of her and Lester standing with Ram near a life guard's chair. All three of them were smiling big and had their arms wrapped around each other. As they made their way back to Lester's truck heading back home, Steph made the comment about how she loved the dynamics of RangeMan.

"What do you mean?" Ram asked her

"If someone hurts anyone of you guys you all go to their aid and won't let the person or persons go unpunished" she told them

"We protect what's ours" Hal said

"I wish I had a family like that" she said sadly

"You don't have any brothers who would kill for you if you got hurt?" Lester asked her

"No I have a Sister who can do no wrong. I'm like the black sheep of the family so I just took care of myself" Stephanie said climbing into the back of Lester's escalade with Ram

Before Lester started up his truck he felt an overwhelming sense to protect the woman sitting in the back of his truck, turning in his seat he took one of Stephanie's hands into his "Stephanie I want you to listen to me and listen well. I'm your brother now and if anyone here or elsewhere hurts you or lays a hand on you they will have to answer to me got it?" he asked her and the other nodded agreeing along with Lester, they also would watch over her.

"Aww Lester" she said tears coming into her eyes looking around the truck

"I mean it the moment you got with Ram you became all of ours and I think I can speak for everyone in this truck that if anyone bothers you we will take care of it for you" he told her as Steph leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his neck

"I'll always be here for you Stephanie" he whispered in her ear as he hugged her. It was a promise only heard and held between him and her

(End of Flashback)

"You broke your promise Lester, one of your so called brothers hurt me and you never asked me if I was ok and you most certainly didn't kill him for what he did to me" she said closing her eyes letting tears fall. Putting the pictures down on the night table, Stephanie turned off the lights and snuggled down deep into her blankets and fell asleep.

Ram getting to leave work earlier than Lester decided that he didn't want to stay in his apartment on four when he could crash anytime he wanted at his buddy Lester's house. Entering Lester's house that he owned and used as a get away from RangeMan, Ram tossed his overnight bag into the room that Les usually let him and the others have that wanted to hang out. Coming back from the bathroom he went to the fridge and pulled out a bunch of beers. Before getting into the living room he had already opened one of the beers and had drank half of it.

Turning the lights on he flopped down on the couch and flipped through the TV channels while gulping down the rest of the beer he had opened. Twisting the cap off the second one he began to drink it as rapidly as he had the first one. Ram was well on his way to having a good buzz going when Lester walked in and found him vegged out on his couch.

"You here?" Les asked him coming into the living room

"No I'm just a figment of your fucking imagination" Ram laughed

"Ohh really funny" Les said looking over the beers that were sitting out on the coffee table "Drunk huh?"

"I'm not drunk. I've just got a buzz going and I haven't eaten much so I don't have anything really soaking up the alcohol" he said patting his well toned stomach

"I'm going to take a shower since we seemed to be in a mace war today" Les said walking down to the bathroom

"How many times do I have to say I didn't see you when I sprayed mine?"

"Fucking Dogs" Lester said remembering as they came up on the fugitive he had ran through a dog park and the dogs all went on alert to the men chasing another man and started chasing them with their owners running behind trying to get their dogs.

When Ram heard the shower start running he took his cell phone out of his pocket and flipped through the pictures that he had on it. Coming to rest on the one he was searching for he sat there and stared at it. The picture was of Stephanie blowing him a kiss. She had told him to take a picture of her with his phone so that when he was out of town or out around town working she would always be there to give him a kiss. He never had the heart to delete it when they had broken up and truth be told he wouldn't if he could.

Lester was under the shower spray getting wet. He turned his front to the nozzle and placed his palms on to the back of the shower wall. He bowed his head and let the water hit the back of his head, neck, and back he too like Ram was thinking of Stephanie and how she had looked trying on that devil costume and the blatant impact she had on him as he looked down between his legs. He also thought of that kiss he had given her in the elevator and how he wished he could do it again and this time enjoy it. As he got out of the shower and wrapped a towel low around his waist, Lester combed and styled his hair then went out to see if Ram wanted to eat.

"RAM PIZZA?" he yelled as he went to his bedroom for clothes

"Ram want to order a pizza?" he asked again coming out into the living room. Looking around he saw that Ram was gone. Lester looked out to where they parked their cars and saw that Rams was gone.


	8. Chapter 8

Stephanie woke up to a lot of knocking on her door and got scared wondering who could be there in the middle of the night. Quietly padding to her door she looked through her peep hole to see Ram standing there. Sighing she opened the door and looked at the sluggish figure before her.

"Ram what the hell are you doing here, its midnight" she said trying not to yell so that her neighbors wouldn't hear her and come out

"Steph I just had to see you" he slurred

"God Ram are you drunk?"

"Maybe a little" he said holding his thumb and pointer finger up showing her the measurement

"Go back to RangeMan Ram or over to Lester's we have nothing to talk about you don't belong over here anymore" she said shutting the door on him

"Stephanie I'm sorry" he said as the door closed

"What?" she asked quickly pulling the door open again

"I'm sorry for sleeping with Teresa and I want to work things out with you. I love you and I know you still love me" he told her and Stephanie just looked at him stunned not knowing what to say

"Ram look" she said calmly finding her voice "your drunk and you don't know what you're saying or doing go home or do I need to call the command floor to come get you?" she threatened

Ram came up to her, pulled her to him, and kissed her hard. Stephanie being caught off guard kissed him back but as soon as she realized what was happening she pushed him away which was no small feat.

"DON'T YOU EVER DO THAT AGAIN, WE ARE DONE ITS OVER NOW LEAVE!" she yelled pointing down her hallway

"Steph please" he said

"NO, I know you wouldn't be over here if you weren't drunk. Go home sleep it off" she bit out at him and slammed the door locking it behind her

Hearing Ram leave driving off into the night, Steph slid down to her knees and cried on the floor near her front door. After about an hour of crying she pulled her tired body up and went back into her room. Crawling into bed she closed her eyes and willed sleep to come and take her.

Getting up from only two hours of sleep, Stephanie pulled on her RangeMan uniform, pulled her hair up into a pony tail, and wrapped her hair tie around it to secure it to her head.

"I really don't want to go in today. I know Ram will want to talk about last night if he's functioning and there today" she said to herself looking in the mirror

Stephanie picked up the bundle of cards that she filled out last night and slipped them into her purse. Jumping into her car she let the loud rock music take her out of her thoughts for the brief ride to work. Parking and killing the engine, Steph took a big gulp of air before going up to the fifth floor. When she walked in she was happily surprised that Ranger, and Tank were the only ones to be milling around the floor.

"Morning Stephanie, long night?" Tank asked seeing her coming in

"Why you ask?"

"You got black rings under your eyes and you look like you haven't slept well" he told her

"I didn't sleep all that well last night" she admitted to him

"Something bothering you?"

"No just something I want to forget and move on from" she told him sitting down at her desk

"If you need some help were here for you, you know that right?" he asked her

"Yea I know" she said turning on her computer. As her computer booted up she heard a sound come from the side of her and she looked over to see what it was. When she turned towards the sound she saw Lester angrily tossing things around on his desk.

"What's your problem?" Stephanie asked him

"Didn't sleep a damn wink last night thanks to bone head" Les said sitting down in his chair and running a hand down his tired face

"OOkkk"

"Ram crashed at my house last night. When I got there he was on the couch but when I got out of the shower he was gone. He came back sometime after one ranting and raving about how he tried to do something but whoever it was wouldn't listen to him and then he smashed a beer bottle on my wall with his hand. So the last few hours I was at the ER nursing a drunk Ram and getting his hand looked at" Lester told her. Stephanie hearing him rolled her chair back and stalked over to the elevator. Punching the G button she was on her way to find Ram. When she walked out of the elevator into the Garage, Ram just happened to be standing there by his truck talking to Bobby and Cal. Watching her walk up he turned back to the guys.

"Pretty cool stitching" Bobby said looking over his hand

Stephanie rolled her eyes at them as they talked. If only they knew that he got that cut from being rejected and for being stupid they wouldn't think it would be so cool then. They would tell him he was being stupid and need to get over it she thought to herself. When the guys left to go upstairs, Steph lit into Ram.

"Why are you being so damn stupid?" she asked him

"What are you talking about?"

"This Ram" she said picking up his hand and showing it to him

"Steph all I can remember is waking up in Lester's guest room with my head and hand throbbing" he told her

"Your fucking kidding me right?" she asked him knowing exactly what he had done

"No I'm not kidding" he said

Stephanie shook her head in amazement and disgust. She stalked over to the elevator to go back up to five. She hated Ram because he had cheated on her but how could he not remember coming over and kissing her last night, was she really all that forgettable? As she walked off the elevator onto the fifth floor she came face to face with Lester. He placed his hands onto her waist to steady her so she wouldn't fall when she nearly collided with him.

"Whoa you ok?" he asked looking at her all flushed and flustered. Lester got a fuzzy feeling in the pit of his stomach as he held her close to him

"DON'T YOU TOUCH ME! YOU AND RAM JUST FUCK OFF" Stephanie shouted moving away and going over to her desk. Ranger came out of his office hearing the commotion and looked between Lester and Stephanie.

"Stephanie my office NOW" he commanded


	9. Chapter 9

As Stephanie sat down in front of Ranger she could feel him staring at her. Ranger rose from his chair and told her to sit tight that he would be right back. As he walked out, Steph was thinking on how she could get herself out of this situation and still keep her job.

"All right you two spill" Ranger demanded from Lester and Ram as he came out of his office. Tank looked over from where he stood at the monitor screens.

"Spill about what?" Lester asked

"Why Stephanie is so against you two"

"You know why she hates me" Ram told him

"Yes I do" Ranger said crossing his arms over his chest "but for months it has been civil around here so what's changed?" he asked looking again between the two men. Lester looking down to the ground knowing it's probably him giving her the extra attention that's got her do frustrated

"I don't know maybe there is unresolved feelings between us or something" Ram said causing Lester to snap his head up and look over at his friend a move not lost on Ranger "I mean we did end really abruptly"

"Well I'm getting tired of this constant bickering. I know I don't say much and Tank handles a lot of stuff but I still am the boss and I'm telling you its wearing on my nerves now" he told them " And what happened to your hand?"

"I'm not clear on that one myself" Ram said looking down at his bandaged hand

"Santos you got anything to add?" he asked

"No I don't know why she is so cold towards me"

Ranger looked at him for a minute; he knew Les probably knew more than he was saying. If he didn't know why Stephanie was acting so harsh towards him than he certainly was having feelings for her. Ranger turned on his heels and walked back to his office, just as Stephanie got the courage to stand up and make a run for it to run away from everyone and never come back the door opened and she came face to face with Ranger.

"Trying to skip out on me?" he asked walking in and forcing her to back up to where she was sitting

"No"

"Steph you obviously don't know who you're talking too" he told her sitting back down behind his desk and motioned for her to do the same

"Ranger look, I'm sorry that I have been fighting with Ram and Lester" she said hoping if she just apologized he would accept it and let her go but she should have known that wouldn't be the case.

"Care to tell me why you have been so pissed off at them?" he asked her

"Well duh Ram cheated on me" she told him and Ranger quirked an eye brow at her for actually duhing him

"OK that Ram but why Santos?" he asked

"Lester just… umm he just…" she tried to say but couldn't come up with anything that would sound convincing

"You like Santos?" Ranger asked her and Steph's eyes went wide

"WHAT? GOD NO" she yelled and Ranger smirked

"Then what is it?" he pushed

"I guess I just associate him with Ram. They are always hanging out together and into a lot of the same things" she explained lying. Steph did know why she was so angry at Lester.

"I can see that Stephanie but not all of my men is going to do what Ram did to you. We all are not Ram so you shouldn't treat us like we have already wronged you" He said softening a little. Steph nodded her head in understandment; Ranger just didn't know that Lester had broken something he had with her.

"Ranger can I just go and shop for the party tonight, that id if I still have a job here?" she asked just wanting to get away from work and RangeMen

"Yes you do and I think that's a good idea and Steph when you return I want you in a better mood" he told her

"Thank you and I will and again I'm sorry" she told him getting up leaving him but Ranger followed her out

"Ram, Santos" he called out "you will go and help Stephanie with all the stuff for the party tonight" he commanded

This was a part of Ranger's plan to get them together and maybe they would get along. If they wouldn't do it on their own then for the sake of his company he would force them too. He watched as Stephanie scowled at them as she went out to get party supplies. Tank with Ranger's permission informed them all that RangeMan would be bringing in contract workers so that everyone could search for costumes and enjoy the party.

Stephanie, Ram, and Lester were all inside Lester's truck bringing back the foods for the Halloween party that would happen in a few hours. Luckily Lester and Ram had already gone earlier in the week and gotten their costumes, they knew exactly what they wanted to be.

"Damn Steph you think you go enough balloons?" Ram asked as he sat in the back with the latex orbs surrounding him. Steph turned in her seat and glared at him.

"I was just saying" he said knocking one of the orange ones out of his face

Pulling into the garage at RangeMan they began unloading the bags and boxes of food, drinks, and supplies. Stephanie began to move around opening packages and pouring stuff into bowls. Since Ram was injured he was in charge of sitting the balloons that he loved so much around the conference room and the command room floor.

"Damn I knew I forgot something" Steph said looking around the floor with her hands o her hips

"What's that?" Lester asked hearing her

"Ice"

"Oh no problem, RAM" Les yelled

"Yea?" Ram asked walking over to them

"We need a lot of ice do you think you can handle it?"

"Sure I can handle that" he said and Lester threw him the keys to the truck

"WAIT" Steph said running out of the stairwell right before Ram was fixing to back out

"Awww came to kiss me goodbye?" he asked grinning at her

"In your dreams" she told him grabbing a large box out of the back of the truck

"I don't have to dream Steph I know from firsthand experience" he told her pulling out

Struggling to carry the large heavy box out of the elevator, Steph yelped in pain when the stuff in the box shifted and she dropped it onto the floor. Hearing the noise, Lester ran to her side and stood there watching Stephanie clutch her side.

"Steph you ok?" he asked her

"No I don't think so" she replied through clenched teeth

"What's wrong?" he asked placing his hands on her

"It's my back or my side, I don't know"

Lester picked her and carried her over to a leather couch they had up against a wall. He laid her down on her stomach and tried to rub her back but couldn't really get a good rub going the way he was standing and her moving and whimpering in pain. Lester climbed over her legs and began to rub her again.

"I really can't rub well with your shirt in the way, can I lift it?" he asked her

"Yea, it's at my rib cage" she told him sounding freighted and scared

Lester lifted her shirt up and began to rub her side and back. Stephanie's shirt rode higher and higher as he rubbed and he saw the side of her black see through bra. Seeing it reminded him that he had his hands on a woman, a woman that he found attractive and had feelings for thus making him aroused.

"Lester, Lester. LESTER" Stephanie yelled

"Huh what?" he asked coming out of his thoughts

"It's ok now I think it must have just been a spasm" she told him and he got up off of her

Lester sat down beside her; he looked over at her as she straightened herself up and smoother out her clothes and her hair. She reminded him of a woman who was disheveled after maybe having a quickie or make out session with her lover. Feeling his feeling grow stronger for Stephanie he reached over and cupped her chin in his hand. Before Stephanie had a chance to pull away, Lester leaned down and kissed her. Stephanie pulling away from him, swiftly smacked him across the face, Lester turned his face and held his cheek where she had hit him.

"Damn Steph what is your problem. You keep hitting people for showing you affection they're going to stop all together" he asked rubbing his cheek

"Don't you ever do that to me again. You have no rights to ever kiss or touch me" she told him

"Oh and I had rights before? You were seeing my friend" he reminded her

"Exactly" she said telling him he had NO rights ever. Steph got up to finish getting ready for the party.

"Steph what's happened to us, we used to be so close?" he asked her following her around

Stephanie ignored him the kiss still fresh on her lips but she wasn't about to let him know that she actually liked it.

"Stephanie talk to me please"

"I have nothing to say to you or your so called "Brother"" she said giving him the air quotes as she took her costume into a conference room they didn't normally use

"Stephanie I just don't get it, you used to come to me when things got tough between you and Ram. I've held you before when you all stayed over with me and you cried"

Stephanie stood there and thought over what Lester had just said about him holding her and he was right he had. She could remember it like it was yesterday, Stephanie had gone and got her hair done and had asked Ram what he had thought, Ram thinking he was being funny made a comment that hurt Stephanie's feelings and caused her to cry well into the night. Lester was on the couch that night when Stephanie came out of her and Rams room still sad about Ram's comment, Seeing her Lester patted the cushion by him and she cuddled up to him for comfort.

"I've always been there when you've been hurt Steph" he said standing behind her touching the back of her arm with his finger tips

"Not all the time" she said wiping a tear away that had fallen before Lester had a chance to see it


	10. Chapter 10

Ram came back with several bags of ice. Lester took them from him and began to tear them open and dump them into the coolers; Steph had set up around the rooms. Watching him, Ram noticed a red mark on his cheek and asked him what had happened.

"Oh it was nothing" Lester told him touching the mark

"Come on you weren't like this when I left"

Les sighed "Stephanie slapped me" he told him

"Why did she do that?"

"You know her I said something stupid and it set her off" Lester told him sitting down at his desk. He wasn't about to tell him it was because he kissed her, Les was a jokester but he was smart enough to know not to tell the ex you kissed his girl even though they aren't together and technically she is fair game.

"I just don't understand why she is so hateful to you it was me that slept with Teresa. You were always the one she went to when she was mad at me" Ram said leaning against his desk

"I don't know what's going on; I guess its guilt by association. I have asked and asked but she'll just mumble something under her breath and then nothing" Les said getting up "I'm going to tell her your back with the ice and it's already in the coolers"

"Let me by the look of your face I'd say you have done enough" Ram told him "where is she?"

"Back conference room"

Lester watched as Ram walked down the hall to go into the room where he had left Stephanie. He knew Steph was gonna have a cow when she saw Ram walk in, she hated him more than she hated Lester. Knocking as he entered the room, Ram saw Steph sitting at an old desk staring off into space.

"Stephanie" he said looking her over and was reminded of how beautiful she was. Ram waited but got no response from her.

"Steph I'm back with the ice" he told her sitting next to her on the corner of the old desk that sat in there

Stephanie looked over at him and broke into tears. Ram falling back into the good guy and boyfriend roll opened his arms and she came into them. Stephanie really cried for the first time over Ram cheating on her, for the pain it caused, and for how humiliating it was that he had done it and then having to face the guys afterwards. She also cried because of Lester. He had promised her that he would always be there for her and take care of her and he had failed to keep his word. She was also crying because of the inner war that was going on inside of her. She didn't want to like Lester, she wanted to hate him, to push him away so he couldn't hurt her but each time he'd kissed her she secretly liked it and wanted more.

Ram didn't say anything he just held her and enjoyed having Stephanie back in his arms again he had truly missed it. He never had stopped loving her and prayed every day that he hadn't screwed up their relationship. Hearing her sob and knowing it had something to do with him tore at his heart but also knew this was something she had to do and hoped it would bring some form of healing to her. He knew after he confessed to what he had done Steph changed that day gone was the caring, loving, confident woman that he knew and loved and in its place was a cold, hard, bitter woman that would snap you in half and would never trust anyone with her heart ever again. He also knew it was just a cover to hide the real pain and he knew that she never had fully dealt with or grieved over what they had lost. He didn't know if she meant it for him to be the one she broke down on and knew it could have easily been Lester if he hadn't stopped him from coming as he wanted. Stephanie stopped her sobbing and looked up at Ram, his breath caught in his throat as her lips were just centimeters from his. He had never told her this and denied knowing but he did remember coming to her place the other night and kissing her and how he wanted to do it again.

"Ram" Steph said as he moved in to touch his lips to hers

"Yea" he said softly

"Get away from me"

"What?" he asked surprised. When he focused on her eyes he saw the old Steph that was cold and hard hearted had returned

"Get the hell away from me don't you think for one moment I'd ever let you do what you were going to do"

"Stephanie you let your guard down and were allowing me to hold you and you were crying. I'm not some monster to just walk away from someone that's I care about" he told her

"First of all you are a monster" She told him wiping at her eyes knowing she probably had mascara running down her cheeks "And second you're not my friend and third of all I'm not in need and if I was not in a million years would I as for your help" She said knowing she was cutting him deep. Now Stephanie couldn't wait for the party, she was going to show him what he's left behind; she was going to make him and Lester see what they could never ever have.

Stephanie never did come out of the room when Ram left her. Lester and Ram called out to her and told her that they were going to go over to Les's and hang out before the party. Steph told them what ever and finally got some peace when they left. Looking down at her watch she saw there was some time to kill and wandered into the storage room where she knew Ranger had stored an old couch; he had gotten a newer one and just stuck this one in here to throw out. The couch was still in good shape and Steph lay down and stretched out on it.

"Thank you Ranger for not tossing it out yet" she said closing her eyes

Feeling movement, Steph opened her eyes and saw Lester hovering over her. She jumped when she realized he was there and so close.

"What the hell?" she asked trying to move away

"Stop Steph just be still" he whispered to her

"What are you doing here Les I thought you left?" she asked him

"Something I should have done a long time ago" he told her lowering his mouth to her and kissing her hungrily setting her on fire

Stephanie felt his hand travel up her body and rest on her ribs. She moaned into his mouth as she felt his touch. Stephanie hadn't been with anyone since Ram and God Lester felt good.

"Ohh Lester" she said looking up at him. Lester grinned down at her and moved to suck and nip at her neck

"Les make love to me please" she said wiggling from what he was doing and how he was making her feel.

Stephanie jumped as one of the workers that had remained in the building dropped something, looking around the storage room she didn't see Lester. Sitting up, Stephanie ran her fingers through her hair and thought about what just happened between her and Lester. Fishing her phone out of her pocket she called him.

"Steph" she heard him say when he answered and little shock waves moved through her hearing his voice

"Are you.. Are you at your house?" she asked him clearing her throat

"Yea I'm here, why you ask are you ok?" he asked a little worried

"How long have you been there?"

"About an hour why?" he told her Ram looking over at him

"You weren't just in the storage room in the office were you?" she asked him biting into her lip

"Nope I've been eating and kicking Rams ass in play station

"Ok" Steph said on a breath

"Steph is everything ok? Is there something up with one of the contract workers?"

"No everything's ok" she said and hung up on him. Lester looked at his phone and then shrugged his shoulders at the weird call from Stephanie

"Steph ok?" Ram asked being alerted from Lester's end of the conversation

"She said she was but that was strange" he told him

Stephanie laid back down on the couch, she could still feel Lester's hands on her and his kiss "It was just a dream" she said letting out a breath

Stephanie looked at her watch again and saw she only had an hour before everyone would return. Getting up she went into the conference room and took her stuff she had kept there and went into the bathroom to get ready. Rolling up the fish net stockings, she took the dress of the hanger and slipped it on.

Fluffing her hair one last time, Stephanie smiled at herself in the mirror as she placed the sparkly devil horns on top of her head. As she slipped her heels on she heard voices and knew some of the guys had arrived. Looking at herself one last time she walked out where she met Ranger and Tank.

"WOW" was all Tank could say when he saw Stephanie. Ranger hearing him turned and saw her.

"Thank you" Steph said smiling. Her plan was working if Tank noticed her. She had seen the others look her over before but never seemed to notice Tank doing it.

"You better be careful, I know of two lonely boys that will be watching you all night" he told her, Steph giggled at that thought

"You and Ranger look awesome"

"Yea well I am the original pimp daddy and him I just don't know about" he said looking over at Ranger who was dressed as Zorro

Stephanie and the guys looked over when they heard the elevator ding. When the doors opened, Hal walked out, looked over at Tank and Ranger, and laughed but when he looked and saw Stephanie his mouth hit the floor.

"Has Ram and Lester seen her?" he asked staring at her

"No they aren't here yet" Ranger told him giving him a look that he better stop ogling the office worker

"So Hal what are you supposed to be?" Steph asked handing him a beer

"Bond, Hal Bond" he said snapping his tuxedo jacket

"OOoo very GQ" she said winking at him

Stephanie excused herself and walked over to the screens that showed the garage. She watched as a sleek black escalade coasted down the ramp and parked. She had been in and around that truck enough to know that it was Lester's truck and that Ram was probably with him. Slipping into the bathroom she waited for them to come up.

"Let the games begin" she said hearing the elevator

A/N The rating for this story will change to M for the next chapter; it will be in the M Section of Lester/ Steph Enjoy!


	11. Chapter 11

Stephanie cracked the conference room door and watched as Lester walked by. She had butterflies in her stomach as she thought about how she was going to let Ram see how she was dressed and make him want her.

"It might be the same as he did to me but to see his face when he realizes he can't have me will be something" She said as she slipped out onto the floor

Lester came in and was dressed as Indiana Jones; Steph had to admit to herself that he looked rather hot in his white button down shirt and khaki pants. Les walked over and joined the rest of the guys and stood there talking while drinking a beer. Looking over he saw someone standing in the far corner of the room and froze when he noticed it was Stephanie. He knew what she was going to be and how she was going to be dressed but seeing everything actually put together he couldn't take his eyes off of her.

"Down Santos" Ranger growled

"Uhh umm yea" Les said going over to the cooler

Ram finally walked in dressed as a soldier, very original Steph thought as she looked him up and down wearing camo from head to foot. As he came into the office something made him stop and grabbed his attention. Turning he looked right at Stephanie.

"He always knew when I was in a room" she spoke softly to herself

Ram stood there and looked Stephanie up and down like she had him. She had her dark hair down around her shoulders with these red sparkly devil horns on top of her head. Moving down to her face he saw what appeared was her makeup was expertly done and made her absolutely beautiful. Next Ram looked down at her chest and at her dress; it was cut so low he didn't understand how her boobs stayed inside of it. Following all the way down he came to her legs and the fishnet stockings and could only imagine what kind of underwear she was wearing under that costume if any at all. Last that he saw was her shoes and they did him in. Visions of grabbing her and taking her to his bed downstairs with those shoes filled his mind.

Stephanie stood there and stared right at Ram, this was it this was the moment she had waited for. She had hoped her plan had worked and by the way he was looking at her she knew exactly what was going on in the head and body of his. Ram had all these pictures running wildly through his head of her. He wanted so badly to go over there and was feeling his feet move to do so when it hit him that they were no longer together, feeling his body over heated, Ram turned around and walked down the stairs to the garage. Stephanie smiled a wicked little smile as her plan for Ram had seemed to work. What Stephanie didn't count on however that while she was so focused on Ram she didn't count on and had forgotten about Lester. She didn't realize she had just thrown gasoline on an already burning fire that he was having for her.

Downstairs In the garage Ram was taking in deep breaths of air trying to get his libido in check. There was no way he could go back upstairs and face everyone with a huge raging erection; they would never let him live it down. As he stood there he couldn't get the images of Stephanie out of his head, God how he wanted her right now.

"Ha-ha this is not helping" he said thinking of her

Upstairs Lester was standing there doing what Ram had done when he first saw Steph. He was looking her up and down and then back up and then back down again.

"Santos your dripping on the carpet" Tank told him coming up to him

"Huh what?" he asked looking away from Stephanie for a moment

"Your mouth hasn't closed since you've seen her, your drooling" he told him

"If I didn't know about all the tension around here concerning you and her I'd say you're after a sexy little devil" Tank said grinning he knew he was

"Steph?" Les asked and Tank nodded his head "Nah I don't like her like that" he said looking back at her again

"Uhhh huhh" Tank said as he walked away and back to the guys

"So what's the verdict?" Hal asked when Tank rejoined them

"Oh I know this is something she did to get back at Ram but I don't think she fully understood that Santos had feelings for her as well and this just made it harder on her because seeing her tonight he will now up the pressure on her and pursue her"

"I don't think Lester will go after Stephanie, he wouldn't hurt Ram like that"

"Why not it is Santos we are talking about, Steph is single you don't think there is a chance she will ever go back to Ram do you?" he asked

"I think the Ram ship has sailed" Ranger said getting two sets of eyes blinking at him in disbelief that he jumped in on the conversation " But Santos if we like it or not has set his sights on our office worker" he told them as they all watched Lester inch his way over towards Stephanie

Stephanie feeling quite triumphant in herself was getting herself something to drink and had popped a chip into her mouth. Turning around, Lester she saw was standing very close and just staring at her.

"What?" she asked him swallowing her chip

"You have a crumb on your uhh" he said looking down at her chest. He was amazed at how good she looked it was causing his mind to be a scrambled mess. Lester took his fingers and removed the crumb off the middle of her chest letting his finger tips graze her for a bit longer.

Stephanie covered the spot Lester had touched with her hand; his touch even thought she didn't want it to it was setting her on fire. He was making her very uncomfortable with all the feelings he caused to swirl inside of her and the looks he was giving her.

"What's your problem?" she asked hiding her true feelings

"Nothing, nothing at all" she told her looking at her

The party was a huge success and Stephanie enjoyed knowing she had gotten her typed of revenge on Ram doe all that he had done to her. Everyone was getting ready to head out, Ranger announce that he was keeping the contract workers for another day so that everyone could come and help clean up the office tomorrow. Everyone cheered for their light case load tomorrow and Tank noticed that Steph might have had too much to drink. Going over to Lester he asked him if he was capable of taking her home.

"Yes I can take her, I've only had one beer I'll take her when I drop Ram off at my house so he can sleep it off and then drop Steph off at hers" he told him

"Ok talk to you tomorrow" Tank said going into his office before leaving himself

"All right you two, your with me" Les told Steph and Ram "and no puking in my truck" he said steering them over to the elevator

Ram knew that Steph was in the back seat of the truck; he wanted to do something but every time he moved his stomach felt like it wanted to come up so he thought he'd better just sit still. Lester pulled up at his house and helped Ram into his house where he passed out on the couch. Jogging back to Stephanie he asked her if she wanted to ride shot gun or stay where she was.

"I'll come up" she said opening the door

Stephanie swung her legs out to hop out of the truck; Lester saw that her already short dress had rode up and reviled her long legs and thighs. Slipping out Steph stumbled in her heels and Lester caught her, being this close to her the hormones and feeling surfaced, wanting to kiss her Lester remembered the last kiss he gave her and stepped back. Getting her into the front seat of the truck, he jogged around, and pulled out.

"Here let me help you" he said as he helped her out of the truck when he parked in her lot. When she jumped out Steph stumbled again in her heels

"Look at you being so gentlemanly" she said

"I am a good guy Steph" he told her getting the keys from her and unlocking her door

Lester helped her over to her couch and saw her down. She complained that her feet were killing her so Les sat down, pulled her shoes off, and placed them in his lap. Rubbing her feet Steph laid her head back and moaned in relief and pleasure.

"Come on Steph let's get you in bed" Lester said really needing to get away from her

He helped her to her room and closed the door so that she could change. Stephanie managed to get her dress off but then slipped on it as she was trying to pull on her pajama bottoms. Lester hearing the thud came in to see her sitting on the floor.

"I kinda fell" she told him

"I see" Les said coming to her "come on I'll help you up" he said holding his hand and pulled her up on her feet

Once on her feet, Lester had his hands on her waist. This is when he noticed she was wearing the red lace thong and matching bra, Lester's scenes were going mad at being this close to her and she only standing before him in her underwear. Not being able to stand it anymore he ran a hand over her cheek, wove it into her hair, and brought her mouth to his. Waiting on the blowback from kissing her he was surprised when nothing happened.

"Lester" Steph breathed out

"Yea?" he asked

"I want you"

"Steph your drunk" he said trying to be a good boy

"No I'm not I know what I'm doing and what I want"

Stephanie wound her arms around him and kissed him hungrily, Lester's control snapped, picked her up, and carried her to her bed laying her down and coming over her. Lester kissed her as he was Stephanie reached down and rubbed him through his pants causing him to cry out. Steph ripped open his shirt, breaking all the buttons, and began to kiss his chest.

"Oh God Stephanie" Lester breathed out as she tasted him

After weeks of hormonal torture both Stephanie and Lester gave into their needs. Lester brought her back up and kissed her hard sliding his tongue into her mouth. Slipping her thong off and his pants, Lester slid into her causing her to cry out.

"OHH GOD YESSS" She screamed as Lester pounded into her

With a loud cry from Stephanie and a loud grunt from Lester they both came hard together. Rolling off her, Lester laid on his back heaving trying to get his breathing under control. Stephanie doing the same as Lester fell asleep as the beer she had drank at the party passed through her system. Lester kissed her on the lips and hoped now that they would become closer and put everything that had gone on behind them, falling asleep himself his last thought on the matter was that, that probably wouldn't happen knowing Stephanie.


	12. Chapter 12

Lester woke up to his cell ringing, taking it so that it wouldn't wake Stephanie he tugged on his boxers and walked into her living room to answer his phone.

"Where are you?" Tank asked in a gruff voice "Ram got Woody to drive him in and said you weren't home and he doesn't know if you came back from dropping Steph off"

"I spent the night with Stephanie" Lester told him

"Santos" he warned "she was drunk you saw her"

"I saw her"

Stephanie rolled over in bed and opened her eyes and wished to God she hadn't. Holding her arm over her eyes she pulled the blanket up over her face.

"Why am I naked?" she asked herself realizing she was

Stephanie slowly sat up and looked around her bedroom, lying on the floor was her costume and the horns. Next to her stuff she saw other stuff there that didn't belong to her, a hat, a white button up shirt, and a pair of khaki pants.

"Ok the only people I was around was last night at the party and it was the team at RangeMan I was with. OH GOD PLEASE BE HAL, PLEASE BE HAL" She said over and over getting up when she heard noises coming from her living room

As Stephanie walked out of her bedroom she was still praying that it was Hal she had invited back to her bed but she knew in her heart it wasn't him because Hal wasn't dressed in that kind of costume only one person was and she knew it was…

"OH SHIT" she said seeing Lester sitting there on her couch

"Yes" He said looking up and saw Stephanie "She just got up we will be there" he told Tank closing his phone and then smiled at her

"Morning" he said coming up to her leaning down to kiss her

"No" she said shaking her head "we didn't"

"Beautiful" he said pushing a curl behind her ear "you were the one that came onto me and lead the way"

"I was drunk I didn't know what I was doing"

"I asked you that and you assured me you knew what you were doing and what you wanted and what you wanted was me. You kissed me and got me all hot and bothered" he told her

"GET OUT" she screamed not believing she allowed how she felt about him to come out like that. She just couldn't love Lester

"No I'm not going to do that Steph. I was hoping that after what we done last night your feelings for me would have changed but I guess I was wrong. We are to be at work like now and also I drove so we have to go together" Les told her walking to her bedroom to get dressed

Stephanie watched as he walked passed her, her eyes raked down his tight body. She hurried and went to her closet pulling out clothes and a towel and locked herself into the bathroom. Lester grinned knowing even though she pretended to hate him that she had just checked him out. Calling out to her he told her he hoped she wore more of that sexy underwear like she had on last night.

"Go to hell" Steph said through the door and started up the shower

"Oh God, Oh God" Steph said as she laid back against her door "I slept with Lester Santos"

Getting out of the shower and drying her hair she pulled it back into a simple pony tail and placed her undies and clothes on. Walking out of the bathroom she smelled the scent of coffee.

"What are you doing?" she asked seeing Lester had invaded her kitchen

"Here" he said handing her a cup "This will help with your hang over

"I slept with him" Stephanie said to herself when she took the cup from his hand

"Come on Tanks called again while you were in the shower, he wants us there now"

Stephanie sat down and put her tennis shoes on and tied them up, grabbing her sunglasses off the table she went out of her building and got into Lester's truck. While driving, Stephanie never spoke a word to Lester al she kept doing was talking to herself in her mind.

"I slept with him. How could I do that? Oh God I slept with Lester. Wait no maybe I didn't, Lester is always joking maybe he is just telling me we did to get a rise out of me yeaaa that's it I really didn't sleep with him" she told herself going into to denial land

"You coming?" Les asked looking over at her

"What's that supposed to mean?" Steph snapped thinking he was making some kind of smart ass sexual comment

"We're here" he said pointing out that they were in the RangeMan garage

Stephanie looked around and saw all of Rangers fleet vehicles; she climbed out as fast as she could from Lester's truck and ran over to the elevator. Lester smirked at her as she watched the door close around her, he would never forget the night they shared together and hoped there would be more like it.

Stephanie walked onto the command room floor and was met by Tank who was holding a trash bag. He looked up at Steph and tossed her a dust pan.

"Nice of you to finally show up since you're the one who wanted to have this party and agreed to clean up after it" he said

"I'm sorry it was hard to leave the house this morning" Steph told him

"Oh I bet" he said as they both watched as Lester came out of the stairwell door

Stephanie let the comment go and went over into a corner of the floor and started to clean up. She knew not to tangle with Tank even though he had always showed kindness towards her, he still was after all second in command of RangeMan and always made sure things were going as they should be. Ram and Lester talked as they began taking out the trash bags, Stephanie was sitting on the floor getting the little bits of orange and black confetti up with a vacuum when all of the sudden she stopped cold. Flashes of her night with Lester started to come back to her. Sitting there on the floor she saw Lester helping her sit in the front of his truck, then rubbing her feet and hearing herself moan.

"No I couldn't" she said to herself looking over to where Les was standing with Ram

Stephanie finished cleaning the area she was in and soon the room was back to normal. Ram went down to his fourth floor apartment and both Ranger and Tank left the building.

"Ummm you can go too I'm just going to take down all the decorations since tomorrow is November first" Stephanie told Lester as he came back from the last trash run

Lester watched as she walked into the back room where she had changed and packed up her makeup and clothes that she had left there last night. Coming back into the main office, Steph heard how quiet it was and assumed that Lester for a change had listened to her and left. When he came out of Tanks office she jumped ten feet of the ground when he passed her.

"What the hell, I thought you were gone" she said grabbing her chest

"No Ranger told me of this hunt we will probably go on tomorrow so I found it on Tanks desk to get ahead for tomorrow" he told her sitting down at his desk reading the file. This annoyed Stephanie, Ranger had said they all could have the day off to come clean and it was now clean so they had time to do whatever and Lester was going to stay there. Stephanie's plan was to be alone and take down all the decorations and have some peace finally but Lester was ruining it for her by refusing to leave.

"You don't have to stay, I'm ok being here with the contract workers" she told him

"I know" he said never looking up from the file

"Well" she said "why don't you go down to your apartment on four or better yet your house?"

"Because I don't want too" he said

"Lester I'm not a little girl I can be herewith the workers they aren't gonna do anything to me" she said looking around at the unfamiliar faces of the contract workers

"Stephanie chill I'm not here because of you. This IS my office and I want to get some work done" he told her

Stephanie sighed and went on taking down the Halloween decorations. She was able to steer clear of Lester pretty much the rest of the morning but her luck ran out. Lester had been watching her and as she moved around the office he got to thinking about their night together and how he would love to have her back in his arms again, he knew what the likely outcome would be but he wanted her to know he wasn't the guy she believed he was. Getting out of his chair, Lester walked up behind her as she was folding a paper ghost and placed his arms around her and lightly began kissing her on the neck. Stephanie stiffened, turned around, and slapped him.

"Ok that's it that is getting really old" he told her

"Don't do it"

"Steph what is wrong with you? You let me in and sleep with me and now you don't want anything to do with me" he asked her

"I've never wanted anything to do with you" she told him

"That is not true" he said talking about their past " Steph we slept together"

"NO I DIDN'T" she yelled causing the contract workers to look at them

"Yes we did Steph I clearly remember having sex with you and it was ok to we both wanted it" he told her

"NO YOU'RE LYING" she said walking off from him going down the stairs

"STEPHANIE" Lester said running after her. Catching up to her he grabbed her arm and spun her around to face him before she had a chance to get to her car.

"Stephanie now enough of this shit. We slept together last night" he said to her

As he said it, it all came back to her, how Lester had kissed her and touched her, how SHE ripped his shirt off and kissed his chest, how he entered her making her cry out in orgasm. She HAD wanted it and she HAD liked it.

"Why do you hate me? Why are you such a Bitch towards me?" he asked her

"NOTHING" she yelled at him

"Bullshit Steph we were very close. Is this really all about me being associated with Ram?" he asked Stephanie

Stephanie couldn't stop the tears from falling, everything broke and her anger came out full force "YOU WANNA KNOW LESTER? WELL I'LL TELL YOU WHY. YOU LESTER SANTOS BROKE THE PROMISE YOU MADE TO ME" she screamed at him and then got into her car, started it, and pulled away leaving Lester standing there in shock.


	13. Chapter 13

Standing there alone in the Garage, Lester knew what Stephanie was up too. There was this place she went too when she needed a break of everyone or to clear her head and he just knew that's was where she was headed too so she could get away from this issue. Running over to his truck he jumped in and raced after her.

"Sorry Steph" he said grabbing his cell phone "I'm not letting it go this time" he said calling Ram

"Hey do you remember that place Stephanie said she goes when she just needs to get away?" he asked him. If anyone would know it would be her ex Lester thought.

"Sorry dude I don't, why?" he asked lying he did remember and saw this as maybe an opportunity for himself

"Me and her kinda just got into it and she finally said something but in true Stephanie fashion ran before finishing it" Lester told him

"Sorry it's been a long time" he said grabbing his keys

"OK I'm going to look around for a while and then stake out her house talk later" he said and hung up on him

Stephanie sat on the sand on the beach in Point Pleasant, she laid her head back onto the life guards stand and thought about what had happened. This spot was special to her, she had found it when her life was a mess before she and Ram had met.

She sat back and looked up at the deep blue sky and thought about Lester and how complicated her life had become recently. She didn't want to like Lester but she couldn't help the feelings that he caused when he kissed her and how she wanted him to do it again and she knew deep down that even though she was drunk when she had slept with him she was acting on the feelings she had been holding in for a long time.

"I knew you'd be here" a voice said scaring her. She shielded her eyes from the sun to see who was standing there.

"Great what do you want?" she asked sighing

"Les called, I wanted to make sure that you were ok" he said sitting down next to her

"I'm fine Ram, you can go home"

"Come on Steph even though we are broken up doesn't mean I don't still care about you"

"And why are we broken up?" she asked him

"I know why and you know why and we are going to start that up again" he told her

Stephanie sat there with ram in silence. She felt his hand come over the top of hers and she began to cry "Steph what is it? Why are you going to great lengths to battle us?" he asked her

"Do you really have to ask? You and Lester are making my life miserable"

"I know what I have done and it has really hurt you but what I still don't understand is why you hate Lester so much" he asked looking at her

"Because" she said closing her eyes

"Do you like Lester Stephanie?" he asked his own heart feeling like it was being squeezed praying she would say no

"What? No HELL NO" she lied. She knew that deep down she did

"Then what is it?" he asked

"He lied to me" she confessed

"What did he lie about?"

"Do you remember that time we all somehow had the day off and we went to the beach?" she asked him

"Oh yea" Ram smiled" that was a pretty good time. I threatened to throw you in the ocean and you screamed and held on to me" he said remembering the time

"Well in the truck on the way home, Lester told me that if anyone hurt me he would take care of them and always be there for me" she told him "he didn't do as he promised, when you cheated on me and hurt me, Lester never came to me, to hug me and he never asked if I was ok. He wasn't there when I needed him and he certainly didn't kill you for all you did"

Ram hung his head as Steph said how bad she was hurt and it was by his doing. He knew she was still hurting over what went down between them. They were so in love and he always could see a long future with her but he up and fucked it all up, now she was hurt and feeling abandoned by the two people she had trusted and had promised to be there for her no wonder she was angry and resentful of them. Placing a hand on her cheek, Ram looking into her sorrow filled eyes.

"Stephanie I am so sorry for all the hurt I have put you through. What I did was wrong and I am sorry" he said to her

Hearing Rams apology, Steph felt her hatred of him melt a little. He had never sat down and sincerely apologized to her for what had happened, he had always said sorry but never a deep meaningful apology. Ram bowed his head and pressed his lips to hers. He knew he was taking a chance but he wanted to be with her again and to his surprise she didn't pull away from or stop him. Feeling that familiar kiss and those familiar arms around her, Steph opened her mouth under his. Ram kissed Stephanie as then pulled apart to look at her, a few minutes ticked by and he in to kiss her again.

"Ram stop we can't be doing this" she told him "I don't love you anymore"

"Steph I believe there will always be a place in your heart for me" he told her

"Ram I just, I just can't" she said getting up and leaving him

Stephanie sat in her car for what seemed like forever just trying to gather her thoughts. Ram had just kissed her and like Lester she didn't pull away or stop him. She was so confused. She didn't know what she was doing, looking down at her watch she saw it was going on five P.M and remembered that tonight was Halloween and she was due at her parents house to hand out candy. Turning her car on she pulled out of the beach parking lot and booked it back to Trenton.

Getting back to her apartment her mind was still messed up and she didn't see the black Escalade sitting in the spot next to the one she always parked in. Getting out of her car and walking to her door she heard someone clear their throat.

"OH SHIT LESTER" Stephanie screamed as he came out of the shadow and scaring her

"Sorry" he said coming towards her

"It is the scariest day of the year and you're standing over there in the dark corner next to a skeleton and make noises" she said opening her door

"Stephanie we gotta talk"

"No we don't, I need to take a quick shower and get over to my mom's. I help give out the candy to the kids" she reminded him

"Your Mom can wait this is more important" he told her touching her arm

"No my Mom can't wait and I don't want to talk to you, just leave me alone" she said walking in and trying to shut the door. Lester no having it placed his booted foot into the door so it couldn't close, Stephanie tried to close it on him anyways but Lester using his strength stood firm.

"Stephanie I'm not leaving until you talk to me" he said

"I'll call the cops, don't think I won't" she told him

"You won't because you admire Ranger to much and he will hit the roof if you did"

He had her on that one there was no way she would ever cross Ranger he had always been good to her " why cant you and Ram leave me alone?" she asked him

"I don't know about Ram but... Stephanie let me in so we can talk about what happened and I don't mean about us sleeping together"

Stephanie thought about it for a minute and let go of the door and Lester opened it. He watched as she walked to her bedroom so he followed her into it. Coming in he saw her take off her shoes and socks and take her hair down letting it fall around her shoulders. She was so sexy he thought when she did that and loved it when she wore her hair down. Lester's eyes widened as he saw her began to take her jeans and slide them over her hips.

"Steph what are you doing?" he asked as her shirt came off and fell to the floor

"What? You don't wanna look at me now?" she asked

"Umm well I just figured how you felt about us you wouldn't want to be undressing in front of me" he told her

"We had sex didn't we?"

"Yes and I'm glad to finally hear you admit that we did" he told her seeing her standing there in a pale purple cotton panty and bra set

Stephanie walked up to him and stood very close to him. She watched as Lester's face and neck went red.

"Do I make you hot Lester?" she asked him

"Yes" he admitted

"Do I make you horny?"

"Looking and standing here like this you do" he told her

"Do you like me Lester? Do you want me?" she asked seductively into his ear

"God Steph" he sucked in "Yes and YES" he said starting to sweat

"Well too fucking bad, you should have never lied to me. I don't go with liars" she said walking off into her bathroom and started up her shower

Angered that she still wouldn't tell him what he had done, Lester left as she was showering. How she had made him feel and the thought of her in the shower all wet and soapy made it to much to bear. Grabbing a piece of paper he had seen on her night stand that had some pictures around it he began to write her a note.

~Stephanie this isn't over by a long shot I WILL NOT Let this go, maybe not today maybe not tomorrow but WE WILL talk about this ~Les

Laying the note on the pillow where he knew she would find it his attention was drawn to the pictures. Looking them over he remembered the day that they were taken, placing them back onto her table he left her apartment.


	14. Chapter 14

It was now November thirteenth and luckily for Stephanie it seemed that all the bonds her slimy Cousin had wrote had gone south causing Ranger and his men to be very busy. Stephanie was happy for this because with them always being gone she hadn't had to talk to or deal with Ram and Lester.

Tank over the course of the few weeks that had followed Halloween had been watching Stephanie and felt that something was up with her. He knew of the existing and mounting tensions between her, Ram, and Lester but now he had noticed that she wouldn't be around them at all. Stephanie avoided them at all cost and when she did have to interact with them she kept it brief, to the point, polite, and then made some type of excuse to leave and not hang around like she used too.

While sitting at her desk, Stephanie was working on the stack of files that Ranger and his team had worked on, she was making sure all the paperwork and warrants were in there so she could close the file. Tank returned from lunch and headed into his office when he heard Steph's phone ring, hanging back to if it was an important call for RangeMan he listened.

"RangeMan this is Stephanie" she said to the caller

"Hello Stephanie this is your Mother" she said back to her

"Oh hi Mom" Stephanie said and Tank went on into his office to let them talk

"Hi, Stephanie the reason I'm calling you is that I need to talk to you about Thanksgiving"

"Thanksgiving? Oh yea I can't wait to come over for all the food. Do you need me to pick up some pies at the bakery just in case like last year we need more?" she asked

"No there is no need for you to buy any pies. Stephanie your Father, Grandmother, and I won't be in town for the holidays we are going on a cruise" her Mother dropped on her

"Excuse me?" Steph asked as Tank walked out of his office for coffee. Hearing the tone Steph had just spoke he stopped.

"We have all been talking for a long time about how we would love to go on a cruise sometime and then it hit us why not go now? Your Grandmother is elderly and we don't know how long we have with her and we aren't getting any younger so we decided to go so we could enjoy it"

"But we have always been together for the Holidays Mom it was your thing to cook and bake" Steph told her "What about Val does she know they come in from California?"

"Yes she knows I have talked to them already they will be going to her husband's parents for the holidays" She said and Tank saw Steph's smile fade as she stood from her desk

"Well what about me I don't have anyone else to spend the holidays with I don't have any other family?"

"You work with a bunch of people Stephanie do you think that one of your friends would let you tag along, What about Ram couldn't you go to his family?"

"No Mom I can't with Ram we have broken up remember and I don't think it would be fair of me to impose myself on any of the guys here if they have families to go to which I don't even know"

"I'm so sorry Stephanie we can't undo this now we leave in a few days and tickets are non refundable" her Mom told her

"I'm sorry too Mom have a wonderful time" Steph said slamming down the phone. Tanks heart went out to her as he heard the exchange between her and her Mom. Every time things seemed to quite down and look up for her something always came and knocked her back down again.

Everyone on the floor pretty much heard the argument that Stephanie had with her Mother. Lester and Ram both wanted to go over to her and say something comforting but they didn't knowing the wrath of Stephanie very well. Thinking everyone had went into the conference room for their morning meeting with Ranger, Steph laid her head down on her desk and cried into her hands. Tank hearing her went over and touched her shoulder, Stephanie looked up at him through tear filled eyes and feel into his arms crying her heart out.

A couple of days had gone by since Stephanie found out about her family leaving and going on a cruise instead of doing what they always did and have the holidays in Trenton. Stephanie didn't speak much to the guys she just came in did her work and went home at the end of the day. Tank watched her and worried about her and how she had been acting, when she left for the day he sat down with Ranger, Ram, and Lester.

"We need to talk" Tank stated sitting down at the big wooden table

"What about?" Ranger asked his friend and second in command. He was confused as to why Tank would call this meeting ever since Halloween the cat fights between Steph and the two men sitting on his right had virtually stopped.

"I'm worried about Stephanie" he said and all eyes landed on him "ever since that phone call from her Mom she had really been depressed"

"Steph likes the Holidays. Her fave is Halloween" Ram spoke up and everyone nodded their heads knowing this was true "But she likes the other ones too because of the traditions that her Mom did all the time and her family. Steph wasn't really enthused with going out and getting a tree and sending out cards and stuff but the it was what she had always known and deep down I think she did like that stuff"

"Does she have any other family here in Jersey?" Tank asked him knowing he would know about Steph than any of the rest of them

"Sister in California"

"I think I'm going to ask her to come to Shorty's. I know it won't be her home, her family, or her traditions but Shorty makes a turkey with all the trimmings for the Guys who don't have a home to go too and it's just like you would have on your own dinner table. Its won't be with her family but she will be around her friends" he told them of his plan

"She will probably be hesitant but when she learns Santos is going to Miami to be with family and that Ram is heading to Colorado to be with his Mom she just might agree" Ranger said knowing that her stressors wouldn't be around to bother her

"Then its settled ill ask her to join us at Shorty's" Tank said standing letting everyone know the impromptu meeting was over

"Santos my office" Tank barked when he walked out of the room. Lester got up from his seat and walked into Tanks office, he asked him to close the door and have a seat.

"You can deny this and it won't surprise me when you do but I know there is something going on between you and Stephanie, you would have to be blind not to see it" he said and then leaned forward in his chair "you know me and I'm not usually the kind of man that does matters of the heart but I've grown to like that little girl out there. I believe she really needs a friend right now will you be that friend for her?" he asked

Lester sighed "Big guy I can try that's all I can do but you know Steph and me and how we can be like together" He reminded him

"I know that tough girl act she is doing is just that an act, inside she is just scared to be loved again"

"Yea" Lester said getting up from his seat and walking around in front of Tank. He could just kill Ram for all the shit he has put her through, Lester loved her and Ram made it extremely difficult for him to get in.

"Santos go to her"

Lester was done his shift and was packing his bag up to leave. He placed his wallet into his back pocket when he heard the elevator ding and saw Stephanie step out. He wondered what she was doing back there so late since her shift had ended a few hours ago, Les watched her as she bumped into Hal who had a stack of files in his hands.

"Sorry, I just forgot my cell phone" she said helping him pick up the dropped files

"It's ok nothing happening here except shift change" he told her

"Oh ok well let me look for it and I'll be out of everyone's hair" she said walking over to her desk

Passing Lester she didn't even slow down or even acknowledge him. Going to her desk she searched and found her phone in the bottom drawer of her desk.

"Found it" she announced telling Hal as she walked back towards the elevator

"Stephanie" Lester said jogging up to her and taking a hold of her arm so she couldn't leave

"What Lester I'm not in the mood for any of your games" she told him

"Can I talk to you for a minute?" he asked

"No I just want to go back home so I can rest and get ready to come in tomorrow"

"It will only take a minute" he pleaded with her

"Fine whatever" she said when she saw that Hal was watching them

"Come with me" Lester said taking her hand and leading her to the storage room

Stephanie walked in and Lester closed the door behind them, going over to the old couch Stephanie sat down on it and stared at the floor. Lester slowly made his way over and sat down next to her on the couch.

"Steph are you ok?" he asked her

"I'm fine" she shot back

"Steph we are worried about you, I'm worried about you" he told her

"You all can stop I'm fine there is nothing wrong" she told him

"Stephanie just stop ok? I need to know about what you said the other day when you took off" he said and Stephanie's head snapped up looking at him. This was it he had done what he promised in the note she had found on her pillow "And I wanna help you, I know ever since your Mom called everything off you have been hurt"

"Help me? You want to help me? That is a load of shit and you know it"

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked looking at her confused

"Do you remember that beach trip we all went on?" she asked him

"Yes it was the one in your pictures that you have on your nightstand" he told her and Stephanie stood and stared at the shelves loaded down with extra paper, toner, and mace.

"I told you that I loved the RangeMan family dynamics and then you asked if I had any brothers and I told you that I didn't. Do you remember what you told me in the truck Lester?" she asked him never moving from his spot

"That from that day forward we all would take care of you and then I personally vowed that I would be there for you" he told her

"You weren't" she softly said

"What?"

"Your "Brother" Ram hurt me Lester; he ripped my heart out when he confessed that he slept with his ex. Not once did you ever come to me and comfort me or say that you were there for me. I needed you and you never said anything to me" she said chocking up

"Oh Steph" he said her words like a dagger to his heart understanding now why she was so mad at him, he had let her down.

"I know he is your friend and buddy and all but I had no one" she said

"Stephanie I am so sorry" he said placing a hand on her shoulder

Stephanie turned around and looked at Lester, she saw in his eyes he was truly hurt to realize that he had failed to be there for her like he had promised he would be. Lester opened his arms and Stephanie cautiously came into them.

"I am so sorry Stephanie please will you forgive me?" he asked her hoping she would now allow him in

Stephanie looked up at him and slowly brought her lips to his, Lester surprised by her move just loved on her back hoping this would heal the rift between them. Lester slowly moved them back to the couch where Stephanie wound her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss. Moving his head to the side, Lester nudged her back and came over her.

"Steph" Les said placing his forehead to hers "I think I'm falling for you"

Lester watched as a flash of panic crossed Stephanie's eyes. She moved out from under him and went over to the door.

"I… I need some air I can't breathe" she said tossing the door open and quickly walking out

"STEPH WAIT" Lester called to her but she was done gone disappearing into the stairwell


	15. Chapter 15

Stephanie crashed through the stairwell door. She made it past two of Ranger's trucks when she came face to face with Ram as he came around another truck after coming in from a call. Trying not to get knocked over by Steph he grabbed her around the waist and held onto her.

"Hey where's the fire?" he asked her

"Let me go Ram" Stephanie said struggling against him looking back to see Lester coming out of the stairs door

"What's going on?" he asked see Les closing in on them

"God nothing" She said pushing him and jogging up the ram to the street

"STEPHANIE DAMMITT STOP" Les called out to her as he watched her go up the ramp

"Woahhh Santos cool your jets man" Ram told him stopping him

"Stop I need to after her" he told him taking a step forward

"Might as well let her be you know how she is man. Let her think and she will come back later"

Lester looked back up the ramp where Stephanie ran off too then looked back at Ram " when she gets back come get me" he told him as he went back to the fifth floor

"What the hell was all that about?" Tank asked coming out from watching the exchange from the monitor room

"Nothing" Lester told him as he grabbed his stuff off his desk and went to his fourth floor apartment

"The hell it was" Tank said watching Santos march to the elevator

Later that night Stephanie came walking back to the RangeMan office to retrieve her car so she could go home. Placing her key into her cars door she was about to open it when two arms came around her waist. Screaming when she felt the touch, Stephanie turned around to see who had grabbed her.

"Don't ever do that again asshole" she said clutching her chest

Ram stood there grinning at her. Rage filled Stephanie's eyes as she stood there seeing him laughing at her, turning back around to her car she opened the door to get in to leave.

"No I don't think so" Ram told her stepping in front of her

"What the hell?" she asked him

"Not until you answer a few questions for me" he told her leaning his ass onto her car

Stephanie sighed; she really wanted to get out of there before Lester had the chance to see that she was back. Shutting the door because she had learn the faster you tell Ram what he wanted to know the faster she would be able to get out of there. She also knew Ram was pretty persistent he had to be in this line of work and if she didn't talk he would just keep on until she cracked.

"OK what do you want to know?' she asked crossing her arms over her chest

"Where did you run off too?" he asked

"The diner a few streets over"

"Ok now why did you run and from Lester?"

"Ram I don't have to tell you anything about why I don't want to be around Lester" Stephanie said glaring at him

"True I'll just call Santos and let him know your back" he said getting his cell and punching it on

"NO"

"Stephanie come on you know you aren't gonna win this battle you always didn't wanna tell me what was wrong when we argued but you always ended up telling me anyways so spill" he told her

"I told him what I told you on the beach a couple of weeks ago" she sighed

"Oh really?" he asked intrigued if that's all she told him or did she tell him about their kiss?

"Yes I finally told him" Steph said bouncing from one foot to the other

"And that's why you ran because you told Les why you're mad at him?"

"Yes that's why I ran" she lied to him

"Come here"

Stephanie moved in a little closer to him. Ram looked at her and slid a hand onto her face "Did you also tell Lester about us making out on the beach?" he asked her

"No I didn't because we never made out it was just a kiss" she huffed

"Stephanie you know it as well as I do there was more to it than just a kiss"

Taking his hand off her cheek She told him she needed to go upstairs "What for?" he asked as he followed her to the elevator

"I've really gotta use the bathroom"

"Ok then go to the Lobby it's the closest and there isn't anyone there this time of night" he told her

Ram stood guard by the door and waited for her to come out. When the door opened and Stephanie came out he watched as she pulled the clip out of her hair and re-fix it in the mirrored walls of the lobby and clip it back up into place.

"If she didn't think what we did was considered making out then I'll just have to show her what making out is" Ram said to himself as he watched her

Ram went over to where Stephanie was standing putting her hair back up, spun her around, and backed her hard up against the wall.

"Ram what the hell get off me" she told him

"Stephanie I want you back" he told her in her ear

"To fucking bad, I don't give do over to cheaters"

"Not even if I remind you of this?" he asked crashing his mouth to hers in a fiery kiss

As Ram was kissing her, he brought on of her legs up by the knee to wrap around his waist as he ground into her. Stephanie had always loved the heat and passion they had between them and loved it when their playing became a little forceful. Steph knew Ram knew of this and that he was using it to further his advances.

"OHHH GOD RAM" Steph moaned out as he kissed her neck

"I know baby I know" he said as his hands wandered to her backside

Stephanie kissed Ram back hard, she was so lost in all the familiar touches and feelings she had with him that she let go and was really into it. Ram pulled back from his assault and laid his forehead against hers.

"Steph baby I don't think I can last long I haven't had sex since…" he said and then realized what he was going to say

"Teresa" Stephanie finished for him slipping her leg off of his hip and straightening herself back up. Looking away as the tears fell all the pain of him cheating came over her again and she thought this is why she couldn't allow Lester to come in.

"Stephanie?" Ram asked knowing what was playing around in her mind "I really would like for us to try to give us another chance we just proved we still have heat between each other"

"God that was because I like you haven't been with anyone I'm too scared to let anyone in and to feel something that I used to love again I just gave in to it" She said rubbing her head "I'm tired"

"It is getting pretty late" Ram said looking down at his watch

"No I'm tired Ram" she said again

"What do you mean?" he asked her confused

Stephanie broke down and sobbed, Ram moved to hold her but she started pounding on his chest with her fists.

"WHY? WHY DID YOU DO IT? WAS I NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR YOU? WHY WON'T YOU AND LESTER LEAVE ME ALONE? She asked yelling with each hit as tears fell down her cheeks

"Well I want us to be together again Stephanie and Lester he wants to be close with you like he was when we were together" he said not knowing his friends feelings for her had changed

"I just wanna go home" she said exhausted

Stephanie turned to leave and felt dizzy, her head was swimming as she walked into the elevator and then to her car. Sitting in it for a few minutes she waited for her mind to clear so she felt safe to drive. Finally making it home without incident, Steph went into her bedroom and saw the pictures sitting on her night table. Picking them up she flung them all over her room, fell into bed, and cried herself to sleep thinking how stupid she was to do what she had done just now with Ram.


	16. Chapter 16

Waking up Stephanie dreaded having to go into work today, she didn't want to because she knew she would have to face Lester and she would have to see Ram after what had transpired between them. Flinging her arm over her eyes, Steph was tempted not to go in but figured that would be worse because that would just invite Ram and Lester to beat down a path to her door.

Dragging herself out of bed and into the shower, Stephanie thought about Ram and Lester, She loved Ram and always felt there was just something unfinished with him, but the pure love she had for him died the minute he slept with his ex. Steph guessed like he had said there would always be some kind of love for him but it just never would go any further she couldn't allow it. Lester on the other hand she thought was a whole new kind of love.

"Whoa did I just say love?" she asked herself as the shower waters beat down around her

Stephanie got out and finished her morning routine and pulled up her hair. She remembered back one time when Lester had told her that he thought she was pretty, it was when she had came over to wait as Ram was finishing getting ready for their date. She also remembered that that night was an embarrassing time too when she knocked to tell Ram that she was there and he opened the door, pulling her inside, and pinned her to the bathroom door. With a yelp from the surprise of it all, Ram proceeded to kiss her and they ended up having sex against Lester's bathroom door. Steph's face flushed remembering when she came out that from the body heat and the act of sex her hair was wild and messed up causing Lester to die laughing at them which earned him a punch from Ram.

"God I really don't wanna face those two today" she said as she sat in the drive thru waiting on her cup of coffee

Being in no hurry to get there, Stephanie was thirty minutes late for work and figuring she had nothing else to do that would keep her away she coasted down the ramp of the underground garage. Walking onto the floor, Stephanie kept her sunglasses over her eyes as she slunk over to her desk. As she sat down and looked around at the nearly empty floor, she grabbed Brett who was walking by and asked where everyone was. Learning they had gone out for a takedown, Steph did a little happy dance at her desk because she had gotten a reprieve at the last minute from having to see or deal with anyone until later. Turning on her computer, Stephanie saw an envelope with her name on it, opening the note up se read it.

~ Stephanie

I am extending to you an invitation to join us for Thanksgiving dinner at Shorty's Restaurant. It is a place where all RangeMan employees can come to for a nice turkey dinner with all the fixings if they don't have family to go to. You are a part of our family and we hope you'll accept our invitation. To further sweeten the pot for you Santos nor Ram will be in town for the Holiday.

Tank~

Stephanie could have cried, they actually considered her apart of their family and wanted her to come and be a part of their Thanksgiving. Thinking about it she agreed she would go since the two thorns in her side wouldn't be around, putting the note to the side she began typing up some reports when she heard the elevator ding, bracing herself she watched as Ranger, Tank, and Hal came out.

"Hey Steph was wondering if you were coming in today" Tank said

Stephanie got up from her desk and hugged Tank, she told him she would love to come to Shorty's for Thanksgiving. Tank smiled and hugged her back telling her he was glad that she was coming.

"What's this" Ram said coming up on them "Do we also get hugs from the pretty girl?" he asked

Steph's face fell as she saw Ram and then Lester standing there. She didn't respond or say anything to them she just walked back to her desk to start on the paperwork she knew would be coming with the bust they had just finished that morning.

Steph just sat there typing away at her computer and never looked up to see Ram or Lester looking at her. They both looked over at each other raising an eyebrow in question. Tank scowled at them and gave them a questioning look.

"Don't look at me" Ram said "I haven't done a thing"

Lester stood there but didn't defend himself, he wasn't sorry that he had kissed Stephanie and he knew she wasn't either since she was the one who had started it that time. There was no hesitation on her part and only when he told her that he was falling for her did she get scared and run away from him again.

"I'm going for lunch" Tank said "Steph you wanna come?" he asked her knowing she didn't want to be around the guys

"No thank you, I'm just goanna stay here I think" she told him

"Ok" he said pulling the keys out of his pocket "you two play nice" he warned Ram and Lester

"I'm always nice" Ram said as he walked off the floor

"Yea right"

Ram, Hal" Ranger said coming out of his office " you two are coming with me to the county building to get some of the stuff we need on the guys we have been picking up"

"All right" they said heading off to the garage

Stephanie was now left with Lester. Everyone had left and there was no telling when they would be coming back. Looking over at Lester who was typing on his own computer. She sighed thinking about their kiss.

"Why didn't I just go with Tank?" she said feeling uneasy being alone with him

"What was that? Did you say something to me?" he asked her

"Nope" she responded back flatly

Stephanie got up from her desk and told Les that she was going to go downstairs to the lobby and go outside for a bit. Leaning her back against the brick wall of the RangeMan building she closed her eyes and took in the cold crisp autumn air and knew soon the heavy coats and gloves would soon be coming out. Feeling something move around her she opened her eyes to see Lester standing there next to her.

"What do you want?" she sighed

"Stephanie I'm not going to go away" he told her

"I know you or Ram"

"Steph you kissed me yesterday"

"I know I did, I was there" she huffed

"You can't deny that you are also having some feelings for me like I am having for you" Lester said not looking at her but at the street that was in front of the building

Stephanie moved from the wall and Lester turned to face her "No you're not running this time" he said pulling her by the hips to him and kissing her

Stephanie pulled back from the kiss and looked up into Lester's eyes. He looked down into her blue ones and saw the war that was raging in her mind and in her eyes.

"It's ok to love me Steph" he leaned down and whispered into her ear causing her eyes to close hearing his warm voice in her ear

"No" she breathed out "no its not"

"Why is it not?" he asked her

Lester waited for an answer and watched as her face paled and her eyes roll back into her head her body swaying and started to fall forward.

"Stephanie?" Lester called to her as he caught her before she hit the sidewalk " what's wrong?" he asked picking her up and carried her into the lobby and laying her down on the couch in there

"WATER" he yelled to Brett who was behind the receiving desk

Taking the cup of water and a cool damp towel from Brett, Lester dabbed her forehead as she began to come around.

"What happened?" Steph asked looking up into a pair of concerned green eyes

"I don't know but you fainted. Here slowly sit up and sip at this water" he told her helping her to get up

"Feeling better?" he asked seeing her color improving

"Yea just a headache" she told him standing up

Lester came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her needing to make sure that she was really ok. Feeling she was he kissed her bare shoulder where her uniform shirt had shifted leaving it exposed. Stephanie pulled out of his arms and looked to the floor.

"Please don't" she said

"Why won't you let me in?" he asked lifting her face up to meet his

"Because I just can't"


	17. Chapter 17

It was Thanksgiving morning and Stephanie was up at the crack of dawn. Trying her best to go back to sleep for a couple of more hours since there was no reason for her to be up at this hour she turned over and closed her eyes. Staph's mind filled with images of Ram and what had went down between them a week ago, ever since that day he would smile as she walked by or try to talk to her as she would leave the office for the day.

"Been down that road and it didn't end well"

Staph's thoughts changed over to Lester. She had always liked him when he was just Rams friend, he was handsome but at that time she had only had eyes for Ram. When she thought of the kisses he had given her she smiled and touched her lips and felt a flutter in her stomach when she remembered his words about falling for her.

"Thank God their both gone today" she said rolling over to lie in another position

Seeing sleep was futile, Steph got in the shower and then placed some jeans and a nice fall sweater on, fixing her hair she decided to go on over to Shorty's to see if she could help with anything or at least hang out with whoever was there. Pulling up at Shorty's she smiled seeing some RangeMan vehicles parked there.

"Stephanie" Tank called out as she came through the door "what are you doing here so early?"

"I couldn't sleep and didn't have anything else to occupy my time so I just came over" she told him

"Well come on then" Tank told her as he saw Shorty sitting out the buffet stands and hauling out plates

"What can I do? Stir potatoes, help bring dishes out?" she asked

"You are a guest Stephanie I didn't invite you here to work. Shorty has everything under control he does this for our company every year, just sit back and enjoy" he told her

"I know but really I don't mind since I'm so early. It's not like I having reports to type up"

"Steph it's ok really" Tank said and Stephanie nodded and took a seat at one of the long tables that was covered in a white table cloth

An hour later Shorty and his kitchen crew spread the food out on the buffet table. Placing serving spoons into each steaming dish he told Tank that it was ready and told him to let him know when refills and desserts were needed. Tank turned around to the few RangeMan who'd gotten off third shift and Stephanie.

"The food is open feel free to have whatever you want just like last year it will be here all shifts" he said and then bowed his head and said a simple but tasteful blessing for the food and the hands that had prepared it. Stephanie was impressed she had grown up blessing her food but never thought the guys would. It made her like Tank that much more.

"These third shift guys?" Stephanie asked when Tank joined her

"Yea they come to eat and socialize early then head to bed to sleep the rest of the day. Some will come back when they get up for dinner if there is still some left" he said and watched as a familiar face walked in

"What are you doing here?" he asked

"What am I not welcome?" he asked

"You know you are but aren't you supposed to be in Colorado with your Mom?"

"All flights canceled, Colorado is having a blizzard so I came to hang out with you guys"

"There's plenty" Tank said looking down at Stephanie and mumbled sorry to her as she saw Ram standing there behind her

"Where's Ranger?" Ram asked scanning the crowd

"Right here" he said walking in "and aren't you supposed to be out of state?"

"Yes I was but they made us sit in the airport all day and night then canceled us because of a blizzard that's hitting Denver" he told his boss

"Hey Stephanie you look nice today, Happy Thanksgiving" he said finally saying something to her

"You too" she said as he went to get a plate and stand in line with the others

"Ohh good I didn't miss the start of the food" Lester said walking in

"Santos?" Ranger asked looking over at him and Stephanie nearly dropped her plate seeing him

"Mom called all the Santos/ Manoso kids have an outbreak of the Chicken Pox so they are postponing until they are all clear" he said

"Manoso?" Stephanie asked knowing that was her boss's last name

"Cousins" Tank told her and she thought how now that little bit of info added to the whole Lester liking thing

"Lets eat" Tank said

Everyone piled food onto their plates and began to eat. Stephanie sat and looked around the room to see Ranger and Tank talking with the men and laughing. She looked over at Ram and saw him gesturing with his hands obviously recounting some kind of story for the guys he was sitting next too. She turned her eyes to Lester and saw he was staring at her as well; Stephanie quickly looked down at her overloaded plate and began to eat keeping her eyes down but knowing and feeling Lester continuing to stare at her.

After Stephanie was finished with her meal she got up and wandered over into another small room that was connected to the large one they were in. She walked over to the big glass window that spanned the whole front of the building and looked out of it. Hearing someone come up behind her she turned around and saw Lester standing there with his hands in his jeans pocket. Her breath caught at the sight of him.

"Hey Steph" he said to her

"Hey thought you were going to Miami"

"I was but the Chicken Pox had other ideas" he told her walking up to her

"Ohhh" was all she said as she turned to look back out the window

"What are you thinking of?" Lester asked her seeing a faraway look

"Nothing" she told him

"Bullshit Steph your thinking of your Mom and how she left you here with me" he told her

"Not just you" she shot back

Lester moved to stand in front of her and saw the sadness on her face. Placing a hand on her cheek he had a powerful urge to kiss her so he did. Lester brought her to him and pressed his lips to hers, Stephanie ran a hand up his chest, over his shoulder, to the back of his neck as she kissed his back. What both of them didn't hear was someone else had come into the room and was watching them kiss.

"AHEM" the person said as they cleared their throat as Stephanie and Lester broke apart


	18. Chapter 18

Stephanie and Lester broke away from each other and looked over to where the voice came from. Standing half way into the little room was Ram, Stephanie saw the shock registered on his face as he had caught his friend and ex girlfriend who he had been trying to win back kissing.

"Tank sent me to tell you that Shorty has put out the desserts" he said and then turned to leave

"Ram" Stephanie called to him

"You don't have to say anything" he said looking back at her " I can see I can't get you back, I had thought maybe I had a chance when we kissed in your special spot at the beach and then what we almost did back at the office but I can see what's really going on" he told her

"Wait a minute you told me you didn't know where Stephanie goes when she wanted to be alone. What's been going on dude you lied to me" Lester said going towards Ram

"No Lester don't" Stephanie said grabbing his wrist

"Tell him Steph, Tell Lester" Ram said staring eye to eye to him

"Yes tell me I want to know and then tell Ram about us" Lester said staring at Ram. Stephanie's head began to hurt and got to feeling dizzy. She looked at both men and didn't know what to do.

"Ram kissed me when he was drunk and cut his hand" she began massaging her temples "He found me at the beach and I allowed him to kiss me there a couple of times and the other night when you told me that you were falling for me, I got scared and he and I kinda made out at the office" she told and Lester balled his hand into a fist

Stephanie felt her heart beginning to race and her head started to pound. Squeezing her eyes together she tried to clear them.

"When I got stuck in the elevator, Les kissed me. He has kissed me several times in the office, we had sex after the Halloween party, and when I ran from him we were kissing when he said he was falling for me" she said swaying back and forth. Lester smirked at Ram who looked like he'd already been punched

Ram and Lester were standing toe to toe just waiting for one or the other to make the first move. Ram wanted to fight because he loved Stephanie and didn't want to give up on them, Lester wanted to fight because he also loved Stephanie and it was time for Ram to pay for the state she was in and for him to see it was time for him to move on. Ram happened to look over Lester's shoulder and saw Stephanie put her hand to her head and close her eyes. Her head was beating to the rhythm of her heart and everything was spinning.

"Lester" she breathlessly called out

"Yea" he said turning around and saw her

"I don't feel so well" she said as she began falling from her body growing heavy and she couldn't hold it up so well anymore

"GOD Stephanie" was the last she heard as her world went dark and she fell forward

When Stephanie opened her eyes they were very heavy, when she focused them she looked around and didn't notice anything familiar. Turning her head to the side she saw a door that opened and Ram and Lester walked in with drinks in their hands.

"Look whose up" Ram said back to Lester

"How are you feeling?" Lester asked coming over to her

"Where am I?" she asked them

"The Emergency Room. We brought you in, Tank and Ranger is outside filling out the paperwork" Les told her

"What happened?"

"You were uhh talking to me and Ram and you went down"

"Oh man Shorty?" she asked knowing she probably ruined Thanksgiving

"He's fine" Ram told her

"Can I just go home now and just lay down in my own bed?" Stephanie asked

"You were out of it for a while so the Doctor wants to check you out" Lester told her

"I'll go tell the nurse that you're awake now" he told her kissing her on the forehead

"Ram" She said when Lester left the room "I'm sorry for what happened between us three, I never meant to give you false hopes of us ever getting back together. I tried hard not to let Les in because of how we ended" she explained

"Look let's not get into this here. We will sort this all out later we just need to find out what's wrong with you and why you passed out at Shorty's" he told her as the Doctor came in with Lester behind him

The Doctor introduced himself to Stephanie and took out a small flash light out of his coat pocket. He shown the light into her eyes and just made mmmhmmm sounds.

"How are you feeling Stephanie?" he asked her

"I'm a little groggy but I'm ok" she told him

"Do you remember what you were doing when you passed out?" he asked and Stephanie looked over to Ram and then over to Lester. They both looked down at the tiles on the floor.

"I was talking to my friends" she said motioning between the two men in the room

"Have you been feeling bad at all or have had any previous dizzy episodes before?"

"No" was her reply

"That's not true" Lester said speaking up

"Excuse me?" Stephanie said looking over at Lester

"That's not true. You had an episode in the office and I carried you to the couch in the lobby and gave you water remember?" he asked her

"Oh… Yes" she said glaring at him

"Anymore?" the Doctor asked

"I remember one other time. I went to the car and was dizzy. I laid my head onto the steering wheel and waited till it passed" she said thinking back to the time she argued with Ram

"Stephanie what were you doing when you had these episodes. Where you under a lot of stress, pressure?"

Stephanie went quiet as she looked at the Doctor. Lester and Ram looked at her as the Doctor looked up from writing on her chart. He saw her reluctance to answer him.

"Stephanie I can't help you if I don't know all the facts" he told her

Yes Stephanie was under a lot of stress but she didn't want to admit to it in front of Lester and Ram, she didn't want them to see her as weak. She had already broken down and told Ram that she was tired of all the drama but that only got her a make out session.

"Stephanie?" the Doctor asked

"Stephanie" Lester said willing her to talk


	19. Chapter 19

Stephanie looked at the Doctor and tried to figure out what to tell him. He kept looking at her to respond and so was Lester. Thinking about it some more it hit her what she could tell him and it wouldn't totally be a lie.

"I had a blow up with my Mom" she told the Doctor. Lester wiped his mouth with his hand and narrowed his eyes at her not believing a word she was saying.

"OK go on what was this blow up about?" he asked her

"I always spent the Holidays with my family but this year it all changed" she said looking down picking at her nails

"How did it change?"

"This year they all went on a cruise for the Holidays and I was basically left to fend for myself" Steph told him which was pretty much the truth

"So you've been dealing with the feeling of being abandoned. Is your Job stressful?"

"Yes it can be right guys?" Stephanie asked looking over to Ram and then to Lester

"Yes it can get pretty intense with all the work and people she and we have to put up with" Ram said

"Stephanie" the Doctor said closing the file that he was writing in " I believe you have been under a lot of stress and that has caused your blood pressure to skyrocket and that is what has caused the Sevier headache and the dizzy spells and you possible suffered a mild form of a panic attack" he informed her

"Will I be ok?" she asked him

"Yes you need to relax and let stuff go and don't hold anything in" he told her "And you may want to hold off on a lot of salty stuff. Salt can cause a rise in blood pressure"

"HA!" Lester said when he heard him tell her to relax and let things go. Stephanie looked up at him and gave him a shut the hell up glare.

"Stephanie from now on when you get one your stress headaches I want you to go and take some time for yourself as soon as you feel it coming on and if your still suffering after you done all you can do to relax come see me or make an appointment with your regular Doctor and we will see about some meds ok?" he advised and asked her

"Ok, can I go home?" she asked

"All your blood works and tests came back normal so I don't see why not. Will you gentlemen be watching over her?" he asked Ram and Lester

"Oh yes we will keep a very close eye on her" Lester told him looking over to Steph who looked already like she wanted to bolt

Stephanie walked out of the Hospital into the bright November sun. It was warm and soothing despite being in Late November; Stephanie stood there and drank in all in. Lester and Ram pulled up in front of her and got out to help her into the truck.

"Where to Steph?" Lester asked her

"I want to go apologize to Tank and Shorty" she told them

"Ok we can go and get some dessert" he said grinning at her

Lester pulled up outside of the restaurant and before Stephanie could get out of the truck Tank walked out the front door as she opened the door and stepped out of the truck. Tank came up and hugged her and took her into the restaurant.

"What happened?" he asked her

"Tank I'm so sorry for passing out on you and on Thanksgiving" Steph said to him

"Don't worry about that, what happened and are you ok is all I want to know" he told her

"Miss. Stephanie passed out because of too much stress" Ram said as he came in. Stephanie looked up at Ram and Lester and gave then the go to hell look they have grown to know so well.

"Too much stress?" Tank asked Stephanie but leveled a hard glare at the two men standing behind her

"Yes the Doctor said the headaches were a sign my blood pressure was going through the roof and holding in stuff was getting to be too much and causing the dizziness and fainting" she told him

"You've had other spells?' Tank asked

"A couple" Steph shyly said

"Stephanie" he said with tenderness

"I'm ok Tank" she told him

Ram and Lester told Tank that since they had to leave early they all had missed dessert and wondered if there was any left. Tank told them there was plenty of everything and to help themselves. Stephanie took a plate, walked a head of them, and got in line. Tank walked up to the guys and narrowed his eyes at them.

"I want to talk to you guys NOW" he commanded

Several days had gone by since the "Talk" Tank had with Ram and Lester and they were still smarting from it. He told them while knocking their heads together that if they really loves Stephanie they would back off and give her time and space to think things through and get clear on who she really wants to be with if any of them. He also added the bonus that if they didn't stop harassing her he would fire them and hire new guys to fill their shoes. Ram and Lester didn't know if Tank really had the ability to fire them without Rangers approval but they didn't want to take that chance.

"When did you start liking Stephanie?" Ram asked when he and Lester were working out in the gym

"It was the day I found her lacy thong in the floor at the office" he told him

"She had a thong in the office?" Ram asked closing his eyes remembering her in them

"Apparently she'd gone shopping on her lunch break and when Ranger asked for a file she tripped over the bag it was in getting it to him and the stuff spilled out"

"She always wore them when we would do it" Ram said trying to gross Lester out so he would think twice about perusing her

"I don't need to know any of the details" Lester said smirking when Ram turned his back. Lester already knew first hand that Stephanie wore thongs, he'd had sex with her and she'd worn the red lace one under her costume.

When they made it up to the fifth floor after showering they found Stephanie sitting in the corner of the room placing branches into a tree trunk.

"Where'd the tree come from?" Lester asked

"Ranger bought it and we brought it in this morning. It's the official RangeMan tree" Steph told them

"Nice need any help?" Ram asked

"Sorry" Ranger said watching Steph "we are going out" he told then. Lester and Ram knew when he said "Out" what he meant

Stephanie looked up from her tree position at Lester and smiled at him, it was the first smile he had seen in a long time from her and it made his heart warm.

"Love you too Steph" Ram called to her seeing the exchange between his friend and ex girlfriend

"Bite me" he told him

"It's great to have the old Steph back" he said grabbing his gear and slipping a com unit over his ear


	20. Chapter 20

When the hunters had caught their man they cuffed him and took him to lock up and booked him in. When they returned back to the office to unwind and take their gear off their mouths hung to the floor when they came onto the command room floor.

"Wow Steph" Tank said turning his head looking at all the twinkling lights running around the room

"Good tree" Lester said inspecting it. Stephanie was sitting at her desk drinking a bottle of water; she looked tired and just listened and watched as the guys milled around.

"It took me all day but I finally got it done" she finally said finding her voice

"It's very beautiful, thank you for making my building festive" Ranger told her

"Thank you"

Lester rolled up in a chair and sat next to her, placing a hand on her thigh he leaned over "you should really go home and sleep"

"Nah I'm fine my head doesn't even hurt" she told him

"You know what your Doctor said about taking it easy"

"He said when I started getting stressed and felt the beginnings of one of my headaches then to take time for myself and it's not so lay off" she snapped

"Ok" Lester said giving her thigh a little rub and got up

Ram watched the exchange between Les and Steph. He watched as Steph placed a hand over the spot where Lester had touched and close her eyes. He knew that look from touching her intimately and he didn't like that the look he used to give her was coming from his friend.

Ram wanted Stephanie back even though he knew now there was stuff going on between her and Les. In the Hospital Steph had told him that she hadn't totally given her heart away yet but every time he sees them together she smiles. He hated that he ever cheated on her in the first place and knew she wouldn't ever have him back but there had to be something he could do to get her to see him as well. He watched her as she sat there drinking her water and remembered how he would come over and sit next to her and steal kisses while they were at work. He always loved their little make out sessions and now Steph seemed to have eyes for his "Brother".

"Santos" Ranger said getting his attention

"Yea?" he responded from his desk

"Go and trade everything we used today and make sure everything is stocked back up for next time" he told him

"Got it" Les told him getting up

After all the water she had drank and from all the light stuff she had eaten during the day, Stephanie had to use the bathroom. After coming out a hand came out and dragged her into the storage room and shut the door behind them.

"Hi there" Lester said smiling a mischievous smile at her

"Hiii" Steph said nervously

"You doing ok?" he asked her taking a finger and fingering her hair

"I'm fine you and Ram can back off" she told him

"You don't have to get snippy"

"I just hate the fact that you and Ram are watching my every move. I feel trapped" Lester slid his hand onto the back of her neck and brought her to him and kissed her, Stephanie looked up at him.

"Did you see that move?" he asked and Stephanie just stood there not knowing what to say, Lester ran his thumb over her cheek and winked before turning around and doing the task Ranger asked him to do.

Stephanie was back at her desk typing on the files that Tank had given her. Her eyes were bothering her and she was always rubbing and closing them for a few minutes to moisten them and then she would go back to work

"Stephanie" Lester called to her

"What?' she asked closing her eyes again

"Your head bothering you?'

"No it's not my head it's my eyes and my neck that's tired from sitting here and typing" she told him

"How many you got left?" he asked her

"Four out of the ten that Tank gave me" she said finally opening her eyes

"Why don't you go and tell Tank that you're tired and you're going home to go to bed?" Lester asked her

"Hell no, Tank would never ok me to go home and go to bed just because I'm tired" Stephanie said getting out of her seat

"He knows you've been sick Steph" Ram told her joining Les at his desk

"Ok I want you two to listen and listen to me good because I'm not going to be repeating myself. I am fine; I know to take it easy if I start to feel stressed and if my head starts to hurt. I don't need you all up my ass twenty four seven. I am a big girl and know how to take care of myself" she told them

Lester and Ram watched as she turned on her heels and went into Tanks office and closed the door. Tank looked up and wondered what was going on now to have her come to him in his office.

"Something wrong?" he asked her

"They just won't leave me alone" Stephanie said as Tank smiled relived that she wasn't feeling bad

"Stephanie they just care about you" he told her

"I don't want them too"

"Steph like it or not Lester is smitten with you and since he isn't going to stop until you're his and even after that he will still worry over you" Tank said signing his name to the file he had open

"I can't be with Lester" Steph said looking down into her lap

"Why not?"

"Because of Ram" she said looking at her nails and then back at his office door "it just wouldn't be right"

"Steph I know that you have feeling for Santos you're just scared of them" Tank told her

Stephanie was shocked that Tank the second in command at RangeMan and all-around big scary dude was giving her love life advice. He was right though she did have feelings for him and it scared her to death.

"I can't like him it's just too risky" she said getting up and walking to the door to go back to her desk

When she opened the door and walked out of Tanks office she ran into a hard body coming from one of the back rooms because her mind was on something else and she didn't see them. Feeling strong arms pull her to them she looked up into the green eyes of Lester Santos.

"Sorry" she said apologizing for stumbling into him

"It's fine" he said looking down at her lips that he just wanted to touch so badly with his own

Stephanie felt a rush go through her body as she saw Lester intently staring at her. She turned to see Ram sitting at his desk close by and got nervous.

"I uh got paper work to do" she told him

"Yea"

"Now you've done it Steph" she heard and turned her head to see Hal smiling wide with everyone looking at her

"Did what? Is something wrong?" she asked him. Hal pointed up to the ceiling where a sprig of mistletoe was hanging.

"How the hell did that get up there? I made sure there was absolutely none of that crap anywhere in here" she asked

"I didn't do it" Hal told her. Stephanie narrowed her eyes at Lester and looked over at Ram

"Not us" they both sang in unison

"Steph you know what you have to do. You were caught under it" Hal laughed

"I AM NOT KISSING LESTER" she exclaimed

"Stephanie you have to it's the law of the mistletoe"

"NO" she yelled and walked off

Lester swung her by the arm and swung her back to him and kissed her soundly in front of everyone "it is the law and I'm sorta a law abiding citizen" he told her placing his forehead against hers


	21. Chapter 21

Stephanie looked up at Lester as her forehead rested against his and saw his emerald green eyes smiling back at her. Getting lost in them and really wanting to kiss him and feel his lips on hers again, Stephanie snaked her arms around his neck and kissed him. Everyone that was there and saw this was in shock that she actually let go and kissed him. Ram watching this saw his chance of ever getting back with her pass with each look, touch, and kiss they shared.

Stephanie slid her mouth over Lester's and Lester wrapped his arms around her body and pulled her close, moving her head to the side Stephanie slid her tongue into his mouth causing fire to rip through her as their tongues dueled for dominance.

"Santos, Steph that's enough" Ranger said fearing that if that kiss went on any longer what else they would do

Lester wasn't about to stop kissing her, this was what he had wanted ever since before Halloween. He wanted to be able to freely kiss her and not be slapped or yelled at and now it seemed like his dream was coming true with her kissing him publicly. Tank came out of his office, saw the kissing couple, and looked up at the sprig of mistletoe, smiling he went back into his office knowing that it would work.

Ram being totally disgusted and let down by the kissing display stood up and announced that he was going downstairs to his room, his heart was hurting seeing that Stephanie seemed like she was finally moving on in her life. Finally needing air, Stephanie and Lester broke apart, reality hit her at what she had done and where she had done it at.

"Oh shit" Stephanie said her eyes going wide

"Steph don't do it, I can see it in your eyes and what just happened is ok" Lester told her

"I need some air" she told him. Stephanie walked out to where she was the other day and leaned back on the RangeMan building. As she stood there she ran a hand through her hair

"What was I thinking?" she asked herself "I kissed him"

Lester taking his time and decompressing himself wondered if Stephanie was having a change of heart about him. She was beginning to be more comfortable around him and just had kissed him in front of everyone. Waiting a bit longer he went outside to see about her and found her leaning against the front of the building.

"So" he said standing next to her

"So" she repeated

"That kiss"

"It should have never happened" Stephanie said looking up at the sky

"Why not it was an amazing kiss, you let go and allowed your true feelings to come out" he told her grinning

"It's too hard" she told him shivering in the outside cold air

"It's too hard to love me Steph?" he asked

"Very hard" she said sighing. Lester looked at Stephanie and came to stand in front of her, placing a hand on either side of her head on the wall he looked down at her.

"Stephanie I want to love you. Let me love you" he said to her

"I'm scared" she told him looking down to her feet

"There is nothing to be afraid of Beautiful; I'm not going to hurt you"

"What about Ram? How will he handle seeing me being romantically involved with his friend and it's not him?" she asked voicing the fears she had, had about all of this.

"I don't know"

"See that's just it, which is why it would be hard to be involved with you" Stephanie told him

"Well he would just have to deal with it. You are free to love someone else Steph just like he is" Lester told her

"Yes but I think seeing me with you would be harder to digest than me being with some other random guy I'd get with"

"He'd just have to do it. What if it was meant for us to get married and have babies then he would have to be ok with it" he said

"No he doesn't have to and I'm so not ready for marriage or babies yet" she told him

"I know I'm just saying he would have to get over it"

"That is not the only reason I'm worried Lester" she said

"Ok tell me about it"

"Not hear there is to many eyes and ears and we already probably said to much" she said

All right Steph how about I come over and bring dinner tonight and we talk about what's going on in that pretty head of yours. I've already told you that I was falling for you and to be honest it's burning to get out of me and be with you" he said softly kissing her forehead

Stephanie nodded her head to him coming over tonight. She pushed off the wall and Lester caught her around the waist and gently kissed her.

"Don't worry Steph we will figure this all out and if we have to I'm willing to stay secret for a while to help ease your fears" he told her. Stephanie smiled at him as they walked back into the warm building to finish the rest of their day.

A knock came to Stephanie's door around seven P.M.; she knew who it was and what they wanted. Opening the door, Lester stood there with two large plastic shopping bags.

"Chinese?" she asked him

"Yea I got a little bit of everything since I really didn't know what you liked" he told her

Stephanie let him pass and told him to set the food on the table as she went to grab some plates. When she turned around, Lester was in front of her pushing her back into the counter and kissed her hard.

"I thought we were going to discuss all of that after dinner?" she asked him

"We are but I just had to kiss you. You didn't like it?'

"Lester we both know that I did but is it right to do it?"

"Stephanie it's ok to kiss me but we just have to get you to see that it is" he told her letting her go

Stephanie dished out some sesame chicken and fried rice onto their plate and then added some beef and broccoli. Looking over at Lester's plate she made a little fun of him because of his having some of everything on it.

"This is really good" Steph said eating some chicken with her chopsticks

"I'm glad you like it" he told her giving her his sexy lopsided grin

Lester took the plates to the kitchen when they were finished eating their dinner. When he returned he sat down on the far side of the couch and patted the cushion for Steph to slide over to him.

"I don't think that's a good idea" she said

"Why not?" he asked her

"Because if I come over there we won't be talking and we won't get anything solved" she said curling her legs up under her

"Steph bottom line is I like you and want to be with you. Period!" he told her

"He wants me back" she blurted out

"Well he can't have you" Lester told her. Lester scooted over to her and kissed her under her ear causing Stephanie to moan. Moving her hair over to the side, Lester lightly kissed her neck.

"Les what about you being faithful?" she asked

"Why you ask a question like that?"

"Well I got with Ram thinking he would be faithful and look at us now" she said

"I promise if you'll give me a chance I'll never be unfaithful to you" he swore to her

"I don't know it seems just too weird to be kissing the friend of the guy I used to date and I swore to myself I'd never let another RangeMan touch me" Stephanie told him as Lester's hand began to travel up her shirt

"God please change your mind" Lester asked as he finally took her mouth in a deep slow kiss

Lester laid Stephanie down on the couch and came over her kissing her deeply. Placing a hand on the back of the couch he lifted himself up to look down at her.

"You're beautiful Stephanie. I think that's what I'm going to call you from now on" he said coming back down to claim her mouth

Stephanie took her hand and brought it to Lester's face to stroke it when he moved back up. It was like she was trying to figure out the demons that kept the war raging in her head and heart. One told her to be with him and the other told her he was RangeMan and would hurt her like Ram did eventually. Stephanie slid her thumb over his mouth and he softly kissed it.

"Just let it all go Steph" he told her

Stephanie watched him for a few more minutes and then leaned up and landed her lips on his kissing him hard making her decision. Lester feeling triumphant slid his hand up her leg undoing the snap on her jeans, pushing them down he caressed her and felt her through her panties.

"Are you drunk?" he asked and Stephanie knitted her eyes together

"No why?"

"Because the last time we did this you were blitzed. You gonna remember this? Because I want you to remember everything" he asked her

"I'm not drunk and I'm pretty sure I'm going to remember this"

Lester smiled down at her and kissed her; Stephanie undid his belt, lowered his zipper, and pushed his pants over his hips. Looking down at him she smiled.

"DAMN"

Lester chuckled at her checking him out; hooking his thumbs into her panties he pulled them off and pushed into her. Stephanie moaned as he did so and then he started to move inside of her forcing her to call out. Lester moving onto his knees pounded into her and soon had her writing under him.

"OHSHITLESTER" she called out as he pounded more into her

Soon Stephanie screamed out again as her orgasm ripped through her sending Lester over as well. Collapsing down on top of her in a sweaty heap they both struggled to regain their breathing.

"Oh yea" Steph said panting "no way I'm ever forgetting that" she said giggling causing Lester to look at her and smile.


	22. Chapter 22

Stephanie and Lester lay cuddled up on her couch, Lester pulled a blanket down around them that she had on the back of the couch. Looking down at her as she lay on his chest, he combed through her hair.

"Don't do that" she told him

"Why not?" Lester asked

"Because my hair is all yucky and sweaty from being with you" she said moving her head and looking up at him

"Ha-ha that's ok, I think I can handle a little sweat and besides I know why it's all sweaty so it's cool" he grinned at her

"You're horrible" Stephanie said stroking his chest with her finger

"So" Lester said "I guess we talked?"

"Yea I think what needed to be said was said" Stephanie told him

"Steph will you be with me?" Lester asked feeling things had defiantly shifted between them now

"Lester" She said sitting up to talk to him "please listen to me ok? I need to take this really slow. I'm still feeling confused really trusting you because of Ram" she said and Lester opened his mouth to protest but Steph stopped him.

"I know you're not Ram but in my eyes and my head you and he were always together doing a lot of the same things and I'm scared and leery of that. If I don't kiss you all the time or if you say something and I happen as you say run then please bear with me" she told him

"I'll try to remember that but be warned when I see you I want to be affectionate towards you. I want to kiss you all the time and be near you and touch you"

"I know but please understand it's hard for me to open my heart up again and let someone in especially another RangeMan. Do you remember when you told me that you were falling for me?"

"Yea and you ran from me" Lester told her

"Well for a while I see it might be that way, maybe not as strong but let me walk away and breathe and I will come back. Now we can kiss and stuff but let's keep it private for now ok?" she asked him looking into his eyes

"All right Beautiful for now I'm willing to keep things private between us since I did make that offer first" he said

"Thank you Lester"

"You're welcome but I think I need to rewarded for keeping this secret" he said kissing her

Stephanie leaned into him and kissed him slowly slipping her tongue into his mouth. Breaking the kiss she looked at him.

"Better?" she asked rubbing his jaw with her thumb

"Almost" he said uncovering himself. Stephanie looked down and saw what Lester had in mind. Getting up and dropping the blanket to the floor, Steph straddled him for round two.

It was December 13th and Stephanie pulled in and parked in her normal parking spot, sitting there she thought over the night she'd just spent with Lester and how gentle, loving, and caring he was with her.

"Hey Steph you look tired" Ram said coming in and saw Stephanie sitting at her desk turning her computer on

"I am a little tired, I stayed up late last night and didn't get a lot of sleep" she told him

Lester stood next to Ram and looked down at Stephanie smirking at her; she didn't look up at him because she knew that if she did she would have lost it and gave herself away. Coming out of his office, Tank saw all of them standing there.

"Before I forget Ranger said our office Christmas party would be next Saturday" he told all of them

"Christmas party? Since when do we have a Christmas party?" Lester asked

"Well we had one for Halloween and then we were all together for Thanksgiving so he thinks it's good for moral"

"Ok" everyone said

Working in the office for most of the day, Stephanie was getting hungry but she didn't want to stop and eat, she wanted to do one more file so when she did leave she wouldn't be coming back to a big stack. With her head down and her fingers typing away she didn't feel or see the person behind her until it was too late, Lester spun her around in her chair and laid a big kiss on her.

"What the hell are you doing?" she snapped looking around bur not seeing anyone around

"They all left for lunch, I told them I'd bring you when you were done" Lester told her laughing

"I never heard them leave"

"You were in deep concentration" Les told her as she stood from her seat and stretched

"Don't do that" he told her

"Why not my backs in a bind from sitting all morning" Steph told him

"Yes but when you raise your arms your shirt rides up and I get naughty thoughts" he told her giving her a sexy smile

"No one's really here?" she asked him

"Nope just you and me" he told her. Steph walked up to him and brought his mouth to her and slowly kissed him.

"Mmmmm very nice" Lester said wagging his eyebrows at her when they broke apart

"Good, now let's go I'm starving" Stephanie said pecking his lips once more

Seeing them walk into the restaurant, Ram scooted over so that Stephanie and Lester could fit at their table, with Steph sitting next to him he could feel her brush against him every time she moved. He really still loved Stephanie and wished he could have her back again, remembering how she had touched her leg the other day when Lester had touched her he got to thinking of how he could get her to think of him like that again.

"You two are late, we were fixing to order without you" Tank told them

"I couldn't get Steph out of work" Lester told them winking at her

"That's what I like, loyalty and dedication" Ranger said

"Ok let's eat I'm starving" Stephanie said grabbing a menu

The waitress came over and took all their orders. Letting the core team chat while waiting on their food Ram would constantly look at Stephanie as she sat by him.

"This is nice isn't it?" Ram asked leaning over and asked her

"Yea it is. It's nice to come out and eat with everyone"

Ram slid and hand onto Stephanie's knee and held it there, Stephanie jumped placing a hand over his and removed it "What are you doing?" she asked glaring at him

"Nothing just playing around" he said laughing

"Well knock it off that's not even remotely funny"

Lester sitting in front of them saw the exchange between Steph and Ram. He assumed since not seeing what he had done under the table that he had said something stupid and Stephanie went off on him. When their food finally arrived everyone began to eat and then in the middle of lunch, Ranger's phone when off, groaning they all knew their lunch was about to be cut short.

"He's where?" Ranger asked all eyes were on him

"OK keep watch we are on our way" he told the caller

"Gotta go, Woody was out on a call and saw one of our FTA's. He's got him located and keeping an eye on him" Ranger told them all

"Uhh I have Stephanie" Lester reminded him

"She will just have to come along. Don't get out of Lester's truck" Ranger told her as they all ran out of the restaurant like chickens with their heads cut off.

Stephanie strapped herself into the truck and started shaking at what was going on and how fast everyone was going. Lester told her it would all be ok and to stay in his truck at all times. Pulling out they all raced to meet up with the fugitive that Ranger was called about.


	23. Chapter 23

Stephanie watched as Lester placed his gear on and got ready for the bust when the stopped next to the place they FTA was supposedly at, she looked him up and down and thought he looked so hot and sexy with everything on and strapped to him. Steph thought that about Ram too when he got all decked out, she guessed all Rangemen looked good when they were ready to kick some ass. When she thought of Ram her mind went to him putting his hand on her knee as they sat together eating lunch, she was into such deep thoughts about everything the next thing she knew was that the car's door was yanked open and a very sweaty Lester slid behind the wheel.

"We got him, he gave us a run but not for too long" he told Steph trying to get his breathing back in order. Lester leaned over to kiss Stephanie but as his lips were to touch hers she pulled away, looking at her she told him sorry and looked out of the trucks window getting her own heart rate back down after thinking it was the fugitive that was coming to get her before she realized it was Lester.

"Something wrong?" he asked touching a finger tip to her cheek

"We're uhh just parked along with everyone else" she told him

"Ohhh"

That wasn't the only thing that had kept Stephanie from kissing Lester; she still had Ram on her mind and didn't know what she should do about it. They all went over and parked at the police station and Les was chosen along with Hal to take the skip in. Ram came over when the guys disappeared inside the cop shop and looked in on Stephanie.

"What are you doing?" she asked him as he slid behind the wheel of the truck

"I'm all amped up" he told her

A chill went through her when he said that. When they were together he would come over after a bust had gone well and would tell her he was all amped up and needed to blow off some steam. He would grab her and kiss her and they would have sex.

"Ram we aren't together …" she said as he leaned over and kissed her

"What the hell you just can't kiss me anymore" she said pushing him back

"You remember Steph some of our best sex was right after booking a skip in"

"WE ARE NOT TOGETHER ANYMORE" she yelled at him

"We could still you know have sex"

"GET OUT, GET OUT NOW" she demanded

Ram laughed " Steph in all honesty I don't have to get out this is a RangeMan vehicle" he said messing with her and goading her

"I know" she said grinding her teeth "but Les is using this one" she told him

"But anyone of us can use it and be in it" he told her

"All right fine" she said opening the door "I'll leave then" she said grabbing her bag and slamming the door

Lester came out from booking the skip and saw Steph get out of his truck and start to walk off down the road. Taking off he handed Ranger the file and headed off after her.

"Steph wait up what's going on? Why are you walking away?" he asked her

"Your stupid friend" she said stopping and then walking again. Lester stood there confused at what was going on, looking at her he raced after Stephanie stopping her.

"Steph come on lets go back to the truck and I'll take you home" he told her

NO, I'm not getting in the car with him"

"What did he do?" he asked

"He just… He just…" she said but just left it at that

Stephanie turned around and walked back to the guys, she went over and asked Tank if he would give her a ride home. Tank nodded his head and Stephanie climbed into his SUV. Lester watched her leave, went over his truck, and yanked Ram out by his shirt.

"What did you do?" he asked getting in his face pinning him to the truck

"Santos" Ranger barked

"This isn't over" he told him letting Ram go and driving off

Tank looked over at Stephanie as he drove her home he could tell she was upset. He had seen her take off down the road and Lester go after her and stopped her. He wondered what had happened.

"Stephanie you ok? What happened back there?" he asked her

"Ram is what happened" she answered

"What did he do?" Tank asked gripping the steering wheel a little tighter

"He got into Les's truck and asked me for sex"

"HE DID WHAT?" Tank asked severing on the road shocked at what he was told

"Yea we used to you know do it when he had a really good take down and he was amped up on the adrenalin. Apparently he was after this takedown and asked me I guess for old times sake"

"But you're with Lester" Tank said remaining calm so he would scare her with his rage he was feeling inside

"I'm not with Lester" she said looking over at him

"Stephanie I'm not blind I saw how he ran to you and stopped you from walking away" Tank told her pulling into her parking lot

"I'm not with Lester" she told him again

"Ok if you say so and don't worry about Ram" he told her as she got out of the car

Stephanie went into her apartment and dropped her shoes and bag on the floor by the door. She went into the kitchen and grabbed a beer out of the fridge, she was halfway through the bottle when a knock came to her door, and opening it she looked at the person who stood on her doorstep. Lester stood there and opened his arms; Steph fell into them and cried. Lester held her to him and rubbed her back soothingly.

"Shhh its ok" he told her

"No its not, I can't keep doing this" she told him

"What do you mean?"

"Everything, I told you being with you would cause problems with Ram and when he asked me for sex… she was saying but Lester stopped her

"Hold up he asked you for sex?" he asked his face turning red. Stephanie looked up in shock.

"You don't know? I assumed he would have said"

"I asked him but Ranger stopped us before he would tell me" he told her

Stephanie looked at him; she had told him something he didn't know about. She felt like the wind was knocked from her lungs, Steph went inside her apartment and grasped the back of her couch.

"Steph talk to me, what going on?" he asked her

"Lester it doesn't matter anymore. I can see this is never gonna work between us" she calmly said. Lester shut her door and came up behind her.

"Steph I love you and want to be with you. Yes you were once with Ram, so what? I am my own man. I am not him" he told her turning her around to face him

"I know but it still is causing tension with Ram, Lester Ram asked me for sex tonight in your truck" she said just letting out everything "He was amped up from the chase and when he was like that when we were together we had good wild sex. I told him to get out of the truck but he said he didn't have to since it was a RangeMan vehicle" Steph told him

Steph watched as Lester ground his teeth and his jaw muscles worked in his face "I just don't know how we are going to work with Ram being such a presence in our relationship. It's just proving over and over that seeing friends isn't gonna work it is to hard"

"Steph don't give up on us before we've even started" Les begged

"What about Ram he isn't going anywhere you know" she asked him

"Don't worry about him" Les said thinking about a little visit with him was needed to get his friend back in check

"That's what Tank said too" she said and Lester grinned knowing if Tank knew than Ranger would also probably and knew Ram was going to pay.

Stephanie put her fingers to her temples and began to rub. She tried to shake the fuzzy feeling she had started to develop.

"Steph" Lester asked remembering these were signs of her stress attacks

"I've got to lay down my heads hurting" she told him

Stephanie turned to walk to her bedroom but everything went black and she hit the floor with Lester screaming her name.


	24. Chapter 24

When Stephanie came too she was laying in her bed with a wet washcloth on her forehead. Opening her eyes she looked up into the worried face of Lester.

"How long have I been out?" she asked him

"A few minutes"

"You didn't rush me off to the Emergency Room?" she asked

"I was going to if you were out any longer" he told her

"I'm sorry Lester" Steph told him rubbing his cheek

"You have nothing to be sorry for, I'd forgotten about your stress thing and I'd say Ram probably has too because I don't think he would ever intentionally hurt anyone if he knew or remembered" he told her

"I'm just so overwhelmed with all of this"

"I know most of it involves RangeMan but tell me everything"

"Well your right about the RangeMan thing but I also have other issues that have been on my mind as well since Christmas is so close now" she told him

"Let it all out"

"Well you know my family is always together for the Holidays and you also know they're on a cruise for this Holiday season" she said and Lester nodded his head " well my Mom used to bake all these cookies and make candies and since they're gone that's not going to happen and I just feel lost. I know I don't usually decorate my house and I hate to Christmas shop but it was always the thing for Mom to nag me to get a tree, send out my cards, and this with you and Ram it's just too much." she explained

"Aww Beautiful I'm sorry, why don't you lay here and get some sleep I'll stay here and hold you" Les told her

"I'm not being childish am I?" she asked

"No you grew up doing all of it for years and when its changed of course your gonna feel lost"

"I… I love you Lester" Stephanie told him

"I love you too Steph" he told her as he kissed her lightly. Stephanie snuggled into Lester's chest and closed her eyes. She breathed in his sent and sighed.

"This secrecy thing is gonna be hard to maintain" she said

"Yea I know, I see you moving around in the office and I just wanna kiss you and touch you"

"I keep thinking of Ram. I know he still wants me back and I just wanna scream I HAVE A BOYFRIEND" she said

"That sounds nice Beautiful. I'm glad you stopped running from me" Lester told her kissing her lips

"Oh I haven't stopped, it's just you caught me is all" she laughed

"It will all work out you'll see, now go to sleep m taking you out later"

"Where are we going?" she asked looking up at him

"Go to sleep and you will see later" he said kissing her breathless

Lester and Stephanie lay together and both their breathings evened out as they went to sleep. After an hour or two nap, Lester slowly kissed Stephanie awake. Smiling when he came into focus she placed a hand onto his cheek.

"Hi" she said to him

"Hi" he said kissing her lightly again. Stephanie reached up and took him by the shirt and brought him to her and deeply kissed him.

"Steph id love to keep this up but we have to go somewhere" he reminded her

"Where?" she asked again

"Get up and I'll show you"

Stephanie threw the covers off of herself, grabbed her brush, and hurried off into the bathroom. Taking care of business she came out with her face washed and her hair done.

"I don't have to do all the makeup and change thing do I?" she asked Lester

"Nope your uniform is just fine" he told her

Stephanie sat down and put her shoes and socks on, she grabbed her purse and coat and met Les by the door " all right I hope your right because this is all your getting from me" she said gesturing to herself with her hands

"I think you're beautiful" Lester told her pecking her lips

Lester led her over to his truck; Stephanie hesitated for a minute thinking about the last time she was inside it. Looking over to Lester she gave him an unsure smile.

"Come on, get in, it's ok" he promised her but in the back of his mind he was thinking that he didn't care if Tank and Ranger " talked " to Ram he was going to have a "chat" with him as well.

"Where are we going Santos?" Stephanie asked again as she slid into her seat

"Hang tight you will see" he said starting up the truck. Lester drove about ten minutes and pulled into a large parking lot.

"Wal-mart?" she asked him looking at the brightly lit up building in front of her

"Uhh huh" she smiled getting out of the truck. Steph followed him in to the store and then pulled him aside when they were getting some strange looks.

"What's going on why are we here?" she asked him looking at a lady walking by with a baby who did a double take as she passed them

"We are here to pick up some baking supplies" he said kissing her

"Baking supplies for what?" she asked confused

"You're baking supplies"

"My baking supplies? But I don't cook" she told him shocked

"Sure you can you just get one of them cook book things and follow it, it shouldn't be that hard and you will make all the desserts for our office Christmas party"

"NO WAY!"

"Yes way so you better get to thinking on what you will need" he told her grinning. Steph looked up at him in panic then it hit her what he was trying to do and it warmed her heart. Lester knew how much she was missing her Mom doing the baking and candy making so he was doing this so she could feel included and not so lost.

"Lester there is no way I can do this but I love you very much" she said kissing him deeply, her heart exploding from the sweetest gesture that man had ever done for her.

Stephanie and Lester made it back to his truck loaded down with all kinds of flours, cooking sprays, chocolates, sprinkles, and nuts that you could ever imagine. Lester looked over at Steph who was picking at her teeth with her fingernail.

"What's wrong?" he asked

"Les I can't bake these cookies and things"

"Sure you can, we bought some easy to do cookbooks and pans just go to it" he told her

"My Mom always did this stuff"

"Well now it's all you" he said and she smiled nervously

"Thank you for all of this"

"Does it get me anything later?" he asked wagging his eyebrow at her

"Ok I'll give you a cookie… Hopefully" she said laughing. Lester took a hold of her and dragged her over to him kissing her soundly on the lips.

"I need more than a cookie" he said

"You're bad it's Christmas" she laughed

Lester took her back home where she got started right away reading the cook book and pulling out ingredients " I don't know what half this stuff is and he wants me to make cookies and stuff for the party?" she said looking over at all the stuff that she'd pulled out.

"Beautiful" Les called out from her bedroom

"Yea?"

"Ranger called, I have to go in for a while"

"You're leaving me here with all this?" she panicked

"I'll be back soon and then I'll help "he said kissing her

Hours later Lester came back to a flour dusted kitchen and Stephanie "whoa did a bomb go off in here?" he asked

Steph glared at him tears at the brink of falling "NO" she bit at him

"Need help?" he asked walking up to her to see chocolate chips and nuts everywhere. He held in his laugh when he saw dough spattered in Steph's hair.

"Please" she said and almost cried

After cleaning up the counters, sink, floor, and Stephanie, Lester and Steph read the recopies for the things she wanted to make. They went step by step and did exactly what it told them.

"Are we done?" Lester asked stealing a cookie off a plate

"No there are two more things in the oven and then you can take them over to RangeMan for tomorrow night" she told him

"All right I'll be the delivery man" he said

"Damn right, you made me do it so your gonna drive them"

"Well you got to be a part of the candy and cookie thing for Christmas that you didn't think you would get too" Lester said pulling her to him

"Yea now let's pray that no one gets sick off my cooking" she said only half joking

After the oven dinged and Steph prepared everything for Lester to transport, she helped him carry everything to his truck "now go slow and don't kill the stuff" she said

"I will, love you" he said kissing her

"Love you too" she said running back into her building, jumping in the shower, and falling into bed. While she was going to sleep she marveled at the difference between Ram and Lester. She never had to know while she was with Ram but something told her he wouldn't have taken her and bought her the stuff Les did after she told him how she was feeling missing out on her traditions with her family. Thinking back to Lester she smiled and prayed the stuff they'd made would all be edible.


	25. Chapter 25

The next night after coming in from work, Stephanie hurried took a shower and was now standing at her bedroom closet wondering and trying to figure out what to wear for the first ever RangeMan Christmas party. Choosing a nice conservative black pant suit, she grabbed a red sparkly jacket to wear to make the outfit more Holiday'y. Steph did her makeup expertly and placed her hair up in an elegant French twist, spraying on some perfume she slid her feet into her heels and grabbed her coat. Driving over to the RangeMan building, Steph dug out her cell phone and called Lester.

"Hey where are you?" she asked him when he answered his phone

"Having a drink in the conference room" he told her

"I'm about to turn into the garage and I just wanted to remind you that we aren't together" she told him

"Yea I know and I don't like it"

"I know but we agreed" she reminded him

"I know" Lester sighed

"Where's Ram?" she asked and Lester looked over to his beaten friend

"Sitting here" he told her wondering what Steph was gonna say when she saw Ram and finds out he and Tank "talked to him.

"Ok I'm coming up now" she said and disconnected

Lester left the party and walked down the short hallway to the elevator and waited for it to come up to their floor. When it did, he grabbed Stephanie by the wrist and pulled her into the stair well and kissed her.

"Les they can see us you know" she said looking around for the camera

"They're all preoccupied at the moment"

When they came in to the party her eyes immediately locked on Ram and she gasped at the bruises and black eyes he was sporting. Stephanie looked up at Lester with her hand over her mouth shocked but asking the silent question. Reassuring her that this was their way of dealing and that it needed to be done and handled, Lester placed a hand onto her lower back and moved her over to the buffet line. When she grabbed a plate she saw that Tank was over by the desserts sampling a brownie she had made.

"You look very nice" Tank smiled and said to her

"Thanks you look good as well" she told him "Do they taste ok, I'm not a baker" she asked him

"Taste good to me" he said popping the last bite into him mouth causing Steph to smile

"Thank you for letting me make all these desserts and things"

"Don't thank me it was all Lester's idea"

"Oh really?" she asked

"Yep" Tank told her

Stephanie looked over to where Lester was talking to Hal; she caught his eye and smiled at him. He smiled back and then returned to his conversation.

Stephanie was actually having a real good time at the Christmas party. She didn't sit too close to Lester at any time for the fear that they would be discovered. Getting up to get more eggnog, Steph came back in and Ram stood up and came towards her.

"Stop Steph" he said causing her to jump a little as she tried to walk away from him

"What? What is it?" she asked turning around

Ram walked up to her and stood there looking down at her, Lester seeing this didn't like that Ram was being so close to her and watched as Ram took the cup that Stephanie was holding and sat it on a table that was near them.

"Ram what are you doing?" she asked him

"I want to say that I'm sorry for yesterday, I was out of line" he said

"You realize that after being called to the mats? She asked him

"It helped" he said rubbing his sore jaw

Ram smiled at her and then placed his arms around her waist and brought her into him. Lester seeing this tensed up and began to go over to them, Tank knowing what was going to happen stopped Lester and made him just watch what was happening. Ram leaned in and slowly kissed Stephanie. Lester moved again to go to them but again Tank stopped him. After Ram had kissed Steph and was satisfied he moved back and pointed up to the ceiling.

"Mistletoe" he said and Stephs eyes landed on the little green sprig of greenery hanging there. Looking back at Ram she knew that his kiss was more than just the mistletoe, she looked behind him and saw Lester was fuming.

"Ram" Stephanie said going to make him understand that this meant nothing

"Shhhh we'll talk later" he said placing a finger to her lips and then walked away into a crowd of guys. Steph turned and walked out into the main room with Lester following her.

"DAMN HIM" Lester called out in anger causing Stephanie to whirl around when she heard his voice "Looks like he didn't learn"

"He apologized" she told him

"Yes but he kissed you"

"It was the mistletoe and Les he doesn't know that we're together" she said to him

"Steph he knows that I like you all the guys know and he is just doing it to screw with me and anyways if we weren't together it still gives him no right to kiss you, you have told him no and that you are no longer interested in seeing him and he still keeps going"

Stephanie came up to Lester and placed her arms around him and leaned her head on his shoulder. She kissed his neck softly "I love you Lester" she said

"I love you too but I can't stand seeing him or anyone kiss on you and still think they have a chance with you" he said looking back into the party

"He doesn't" she told him "please just play it cook ok?"

"Yea ok but he better leave you alone and not touch you again or I will do something" he said. Stephanie and Lester went back into the room where they resumed being in the party.

A few days later was Christmas Eve and everyone was still alive from Stephanie's attempt at baking. Lester was in Tanks office begging him to please make something up so that Stephanie would be busy for a while tonight.

"Santos Steph doesn't work on anything of a night she is a nine to fiver" he told him

"I'll do extra paper work if you come up with something to get her here"

"What's this all about?" Tank asked leaning back in his big leather chair

"I have a surprise for her but I need her to be out of her place so that I can set it all up" he told him

"All right" He said getting up and going over to his office door "STEPHANIE" he yelled

"Yea? She asked coming in from her desk

"Stephanie I could really use your help tonight if you're not busy" he told her

"Ummmm" she said looking over at Lester

"I have a stake out with Ranger and Ram" he lied

"Ohh ok, no I don't have any plans. What do you need?" she asked him

"I have a bunch of files and reports that need to be done and I'm so far behind. Ranger is riding my ass saying he needs them done before the close of the year and if I don't start soon it won't get done" he explained

"Ok what time would like for me to come in?" she asked

"Is nine tonight ok?"

"Great" she said. Tank looked over to Lester and he nodded his head

"I thought we were going to be spending Christmas Eve together" She asked Lester when they left Tanks office feeling kinda hurt

"I'm sorry Beautiful, Ranger told me about the stake out just now" he told her

"Oh" she said knowing that this was part of his job but she still was hurt that it canceled their plans

"I'll make it up to you somehow" he said hugging her.

Lester felt bad about all the lies being told to her and how hurt she had looked but then smiled as she walked away. He thought to himself how pretty soon she would be all over him and how happy that she would be when she saw what he really was up too.


	26. Chapter 26

Stephanie helped Tank wrap up the last of the files that he had on his desk. What she didn't know was that Tank had gone through Ranger's filing cabinet and grabbed some old files and yanked out some of the key papers so they would have something to work on. When Steph gave the last file over to Tank, he signed his name to it knowing later he would replace all the ripped out papers and placed it into his outbox.

"Thank you for doing this" Tank told her letting out a big breath

"You're welcome but I really need to go home and get to bed its one a.m." she told him looking at her wrist watch

"Ok thank you again I really do appreciate it, you saved my ass from Ranger" he said even though it didn't need to be done and he'd just spent the last five hours working on something that didn't even exist.

Stephanie walked to her car and got in; starting it she drove up the ramp, and out of the garage. Pulling onto the street in front of RangeMan she began to yawn, turning on her radio Steph blasted Christmas music to keep herself awake. Back at the office Tank called Lester and told him that Stephanie was on her way home so be on the lookout for her, Lester thanked him for all that he had done, disconnected, and waited on Steph to show up. Lester was slick when he unloaded everything; he parked his truck two streets over so Steph wouldn't see him. Stephanie pulled into her lot and parked in her normal parking spot and slowly got out of her car, making it to her door she unlocked it.

"Man I cannot wait to get out of these clothes and go to bed" She said closing her door and locking it

Stephanie dropped her bag at her door and threw her shoes off; Lester could see her from where he was hidden in the dark corner and waited for her to notice. Stephanie looked down at her bare feet and noticed something wasn't right. Whenever she left her apartment she always turned off the lights and looking at her feet there was a light shining on them.

"What the hell? I never leave a light on when I leave" she said. When Stephanie looked up she gasped as she saw her living room. Strung around the entire room were a million white lights and a big beautiful decorated Christmas tree in the corner of the room.

"Oh my God" she said walking in the rest of the way. Going over to the tree, she touched it.

"It's a real tree"

Stephanie looked all around her living room and saw that it had stockings placed up on the wall and even a few presents were put under the tree. Steph began to cry at how beautiful it was, seeing her Lester finally stepped out of his corner and looked at her.

"Surprise" he announced

Stephanie whirled around and saw Lester standing there with his hands in his pockets. She ran to him and threw her arms around his neck and cried Lester held her kissed her neck and temple.

"You like it?" he asked her. Stephanie nodded her head and leaned up and kissed hi soundly.

"Oh my God Les it's perfect. It's so beautiful; did you do this all by yourself?"

"Yes Beautiful I did and I did it all for you because I love you, Merry Christmas" he said running his thumbs over her cheeks

Stephanie cried harder and clung to him. She and Ram had spent some wonderful times together and she would always remember them fondly but never had he ever done anything like this for her. Lester led her over to the couch and sat with her in his arms; Stephanie leaned up and kissed him slowly. Lester lay back on the couch and brought her over him, Stephanie made love to him and it was amazing to give herself to him by the glow of the tree and by all of the lights.

As they woke up the next morning, Lester came and brought Stephanie a cup of coffee and sat with her as she woke up and drank it. Lester looked over at the tree and smiled, getting under it he grabbed a box and took it over to Stephanie.

"Here Steph this is from me" he told her handing it to her

Stephanie delicately tore at the paper on the box; Lester sighed and tore the paper off for her. Sitting there with the box, Stephanie slowly opened it gasping at what she found inside.

"LESTER IT'S BEAUTIFUL" she cried bring her present out

"Just like you" he said slipping the diamond Hibiscus flower link bracelet onto her wrist

Kissing Lester for his amazing gift, Steph broke from him and ran into her bedroom, coming back she handed Lester a long slender box.

"I did some last minute shopping and got this for you, I hope you like it" she said watching him tear the paper off the gift

"Oh God Steph thank you" Lester said placing his new watch onto his wrist

"You're very welcome" she told him kissing him

After they exchanged gifts and exchanged kisses and heaving groping, Lester and Stephanie took a shower so they could go over to RangeMan and spend Christmas with their friends.

This year Christmas was a blast spending it at RangeMan. Stephanie was so happy to be included that she hardly thought about not being with her family. Yawing from spending most of the day with her co-workers and her friends, Steph curled up on the couch that was inside Tanks office and fell asleep. Going into his office for something, Tank found Stephanie and came out getting Lester's attention.

"I'll take her down to my apartment, she can bunk there" he whispered to Tank as he carefully picked Stephanie up and carried her to the elevator. Tank watched them; he wasn't a dummy they were definitely together.

Lester removed Stephs shoes when he laid her down onto his bed and pulled his blanket over her, leaning over her he kissed her forehead "Sleep Beautiful I'll come back in a little while" he told her turning off his bedroom light and going back upstairs

Around two in the morning, Stephanie woke up, looked around at where she was, and then saw Lester asleep next to her. Smiling when she figured out that she was In Lester's apartment, she kissed him, and slid out of bed in search of a snack. Seeing that Lester had next to nothing in his fridge or in his cabinets, Steph shuffled over to the elevator and punched the number five knowing the floor kitchen was always stocked.

When the door opened, she walked out expecting it to be dark and was surprised to see a loose staff and the lights on. Looking around, Steph remembered RangeMan operated twenty four seven and then recognized a few of the faces from the early eaters at the Thanksgiving thing at Shorty's. Hurrying off into the kitchen she saw a familiar ass sticking out of the fridge.

"Something's never change do they?" she asked as Ram came out from the fridge and looked over the door at her. He was holding some food and some of the sweets that Ranger had let stay after their get together.

"Nope" he said looking at her knowing she was there doing exactly the same thing he was

"Cut me some of that ham too?" she asked as she went over and found two plates for their goodies

"Glad Boss man let us keep it and didn't toss it all" Ram said bringing over everything and setting it down on the table

"Me too" Steph said as she put together a ham sandwich

Stephanie sat there tearing pieces of her sandwich with her fingers and eating them, she kept noticing that Ram was looking at her. Turning to him, she questioned him on what he was looking at and watched him reach into his pants pocket and slid a wrapped gift over to her.

"Steph this is for you" he told her

"Oh Ram I can't accept that" she told him staring down at the gift

"Yes you can, I went out and got this just for you. I've never stopped loving you Steph, I just wanted to get you something for Christmas" he told her "please … open it"

Stephanie took the red foil present and slid the bow off and tossed it onto the table they were sitting at. She lifted the lid and gasped, inside was one of those diamond necklaces that you saw on TV. Steph felt tears filling her eyes and she blinked rapidly to get rid of them, Ram took the box from her hands, took the necklace, and draped it around her neck kissing her where the clasp came together.

"It's beautiful on you Steph" he told her

"Thank you Ram, I don't know what to say" she said with tears as she saw the man who'd captured her heart a long time ago standing before her

Ram brought Stephanie close to him and told her again how sorry he was for hurting her and that if he could he would turn back the clock and never ever break her heart. Stephanie was openly crying now at the tenderness and the gentleness that Ram was showing. Ram leaned down and slowly kissed Steph. Stephanie felt herself open her mouth to Ram and allow his tongue inside, she knew she didn't love him anymore and that she was in love with Lester but after the gift he'd given her and what he'd just said to her the kiss just seemed the right thing to do.


	27. Chapter 27

Stephanie pulled back from Ram when she felt his hands start to wander down southward to her ass. She was shot back to reality that this was Ram the guy who had cheated on her and not Lester. Ram was so familiar and she saw a glimpse of their old life that they had once shared but she needed to stop letting him get to her and move on with Les.

"Ram stop we can't keep doing this" she told him backing away

"Why not?" he asked her

"Do you really have to ask? We aren't together anymore" she said

"We could be if you'd just allow it"

"No, I'm sorry we can't" she said walking away thinking how much she wanted to be back with Lester

"Stephanie" she heard as she went into a dark conference room to get herself into check. She heard the door open and assumed it was Ram again trying to get at her but when she looked up ready to dismiss him she was shocked to see Lester coming towards her. Looking at him he opened his arms and she leaned over falling into them.

"Les this is too hard I'm going to tell him" she told him

"Steph I'm pretty sure he already knows but if that's what you want" he told her kissing her temple

"He kissed me" she confessed to him

"I know I saw you" he told her

"I'm so sorry Les, when he gave me the gift and said all the right things it just reminded me of the good Ram I used to know and I kissed him back" she said tears running down her cheeks.

"Steph I'm not mad"

"You're not?" she asked him surprised

"No"

"Lester I just admitted to you that I kissed Ram and you're not furious with me?" she asked

"Yes I am pissed but not at you at Ram. He is just trying to screw with me and get back with you and he knew what to do and what to say to lower your resolve. Steph I heard every word he said and I heard what you said back to him. I'm pretty certain it's me you want to be with, I know this was all on him" he told her. Stephanie cried and kissed him, when she sat back Lester played with the necklace that now hung around her neck.

"I tried not to accept it" she told him

"I know, but keep it, it is beautiful and you deserve beautiful things"

Ram watched Stephanie and Lester through the glass panels of the conference room and was pissed. He knew all along that Lester wanted her and was now hanging all over her acting all concerned. Ram went back down to his room, punched his wall, and fell back onto his bed. Laying there he was more determined than ever to get Stephanie back.

Several days later , Lester had Stephanie pinned on her couch and was kissing her, Stephanie was taking everything he was giving her and writhing underneath him because of the feelings he stirred in her. Lester lowered his mouth to her throat and all he heard was a small squeak, laughing at the reaction he got he ran his tongue over her skin. Feeling his tongue taste her, Steph managed to get her hands free and grab the cushions under her in ecstasy.

"You gonna play nice?" he asked her

"I am nice"

"That wasn't a very nice thing you just did" he told her

"What? We were just watching TV" she grinned mischievously

"Our eyes might have been but you hand defiantly was doing something else" he said looking down at her

"Tell me you didn't like it" she challenged him

"Yes I did but you said we couldn't do anything" Stephanie looked up at Lester and tried to give him a sexy smile but it didn't work, Lester laughed but laid his mouth on hers again and kissed her deeply.

"You're still being bad" he told her

"I don't have to be good anymore, Christmas was five days ago I can go back to being bad" she said

"Lord help us" Lester said looking heavenward

Stephanie looked up into Lester's eyes and leaned up and kissed him, Les snaked his tongue out, traced her bottom lip, and was granted access. After the wonderful kiss, Steph sat up and whispered a question into Lester's ear.

"Steph the men I know would do it but there are some that wouldn't. Me personally it doesn't bother me" he said bringing her to sit in his lap

"Are you sure?" she asked blushing

"Absolutely positive" he told her

"You don't find it gross?"

"No, its nature and I know you're going to go through it all the time but I also know you have to be up for it as well" he said

"Les you don't know how bad I want you right now" Stephanie told him running her hand down his torso to sit on his bulging crotch

"Well then Steph you shall have me" he said picking her up and carrying her to her bedroom

Stephanie lay back on her bed; Lester came over her, placed a hand on each side of her head, and did pushups with a kiss each time he came down on top of her. Stephanie was getting tired of this and clasped her legs around him, held him down, and kissed him hard and hungry.

"You didn't like my kisses?" Lester asked her

"You were just showing off" she answered

"How was I showing off?" he asked grinning

"Oh because you're strong and got a lot of muscles and can do pushups on top of me"

Lester smiled and laid himself on top of her and kissed her long and hard. Stephanie moaned into the kiss wrapping her arms around him, Lester could feel her chest rising and falling fast as he assaulted her lips. Kissing her shoulder, Lester ran a hand down her hip.

"Lester" Stephanie softly said

"Yea?" he asked kissing her neck

"Make love to me"

Lester lifted Stephanie's shirt off and tossed it over the bed onto the bedroom floor, he kissed his way over the swell of her breasts as she arched up into him. Running his hand behind her back he took his fingers and unhooked her bra, when Stephanie felt him slide it off, she moaned as the cool air hit her chest. Lester took a nipple into his mouth, sucked on it until it became erect, and then did the same to the other one.

"God your killing me" Stephanie moaned out

"I know" Lester said smugly looking down at her and grinned

Lester took off Stephs shorts and panties and nudged her legs apart with his knees placing himself at her entrance. Lester slowly pushed himself into her causing Stephanie to cry out when he fully entered her. He began to kiss her as he thrusted and soon the heat between them made Lester pound into her with Stephanie moaning each time he did so. When Stephs orgasm washed over her, Lester whispered into her ear.

"I love you Stephanie"

"I love you too" she told him as his release came over him and then collapsed next to her catching his breath.


	28. Chapter 28

Stephanie, Lester, Ram, Hal, Tank, and Ranger were all milling around Lester's house waiting for the ball to drop on New Year's Eve. Tank came into the kitchen where Stephanie was putting stuff out onto trays and getting drinks out of the fridge for everyone.

"So Steph" Tank said coming up watching what she was doing " you know the tradition is when the clock strikes twelve and the ball drops you kiss someone don't you?" he asked

"Yea, I know" she said trying not to let anything slip

"You also know Lester will be coming for you don't you?"

"No he won't, I'm not seeing him" she told him

"Stephanie you can try to hide all you want but I've been in this business a long time and I know you are seeing Santos, I see it in how you two look at each other. I also know the reason you're keeping quiet about it is because of Ram" he said grabbing a pack of crackers and a bag of chips opening them for her.

"All right" she sighed "yes I'm seeing Lester and we have been seeing each other for a few weeks now, before that though we have kissed several times, I didn't want to be with him because of Ram but he wormed his way into my heart" she said and Tank smiled "But it's so hard and awkward being around Ran now. I mean he was my boyfriend and we were all around Lester as friends and now I'm going to hang all over him and kiss him in front of Ram and knowing he still has feelings for me and wants me back?" she asked

"Steph you can't keep this hidden, do you want to be with Santos as a couple, be able to hold hands, kiss and do all that couple stuff?"

"Yea" Stephanie told him as she put a cheese ball in the center of the crackers

"Then do it, tell Ram and everyone once and for all that you are with Santos and that's that" Tank told her

"I don't want to hurt Ram. Even though he cheated there still was a lot of love between us before he came out and confessed and a lot of it died but a lot stayed too"

"He hurt you, cheated on you, and you want to spare his feelings?" he asked

"I have a feeling that it will hurt things between Les and Ram"

"If Ram knows anything and I hope he does working with us then he already knows there's stuff going on and if he is a real man with the honor we all have then he will want you to be happy and step aside" he told her "and Steph there is your health to think of also.

"How did you get to be so wise?" Steph asked amazed at Tanks thoughts

"Being quiet and observing people for years has its advantages" he said winking at her

Tank helped Stephanie carry out the platters of snacks and Ram scooted over to let Stephanie sit down next to him. He smiled at her when she looked at him, Lester rolling his eyes got up and went to the bathroom not wanting to watch Ram try and make moves on Steph.

"Damn we forgot that bag of chips" Tank said grabbing the empty bowl

"I'll get it" Stephanie announced running into the kitchen hoping Lester would be in there. When she grabbed the bag of chips and not seeing Les, Steph turned around to Ram leaning against the door jamb. Ram came up to her, took the chips from her hand, and sat them on the counter.

"Ram please don't do this" she told him

"I want us to be together again Steph" he said leaning down to kiss her neck

"No Ram I can't I'm sorry" she said taking Tanks advice

"Why not?"

"Because I already have another boyfriend" she told him finally

"What?" he asked looking at her

"Yea, we have been seeing each other for a few weeks now and last night we were together" she told him and worried that he would blow up

"THEY'RE STARTING" everyone yelled from the next room

Stephanie walked away from Ram and joined the others in the living room where the ball in New York was about to drop. Dick Clark and Ryan Seacrest were standing talking about the New Year, Lester stood on the far side of the room and Steph and Ram were on the other end. Dick gave the order and the countdown began, everyone was counting, Ram leaned over and asked Steph who her boyfriend was.

"Seven, six, five" everyone counted

Stephanie looked over to Lester who looked back at her and Ram, he wasn't about to let his "friend" get the kiss when the clock struck twelve, what he didn't know was that Steph was about to reveal everything to everyone anyways.

"Four, three, two" Dick said and everyone was waiting

"ONE… Happy New Years" everyone shouted as the ball dropped and the New Year's number lit up

Lester made it across the room by the time the clock hit twelve midnight. He crashed his mouth to Stephanie's in a long deep kiss, Steph wound her arms around him and he had his on her back holding her close. Ram then saw and knew that Steph was with Lester. Confetti rained down as everyone kissed their dates if they brought them or gave out manly hugs that they survived another year. Stephanie and Lester were still kissing and hadn't broken apart, when they did, Steph looked over at Ram as did Lester. Lester feeling Ram would blow up at anytime at them turned and faced him keeping Steph behind him in case things turned ugly. Everyone in the room stopped celebrating and watched the scene before them. Ram walked up to Lester and Steph, she was nervously smiling as Stephanie watched from behind him. The tension was thick and everyone was on guard ready to react to when one of them made the first move, Ram looked over and smiled at Stephanie and reached his hand out to Lester.

"I knew I never stood another chance with her but I had to try" he said and Lester kept his eyes trained on him ready to go if need be "So I'm gonna bow out and let you guys be" he told them

Stephanie smiled as a tear slid down her cheek; Lester looked down at Ram's outstretched hand and grabbed it bringing him to him for an embrace telling him thanks. Ranger and Tank watched their "children" and nodded at each other after seeing Ram be the bigger man and step aside. Lester took Stephanie's hand into his and looked down in her glittery blue eyes.

"Happy New Year Beautiful, I love you" he told her

"Happy New Year Lester, I love you too"

THE END!

I want to tell everyone Thank You who read along and reviewed. It really means a lot to me.

I have a new story to post and I went back to my old writing way but my cat died yesterday when I came home from Church and the story I've wrote deals with a lot of heart wrenching emotions so I don't know if I should post it right away or give myself a few days. I was so excited about this new story I couldn't wait but with whatever I decide just keep me in thoughts Sadie was my baby and I miss her terribly, words cannot express how much I loved her.

Thanks again Guys

Karren


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